Depths of the Yiga
by TinkerTech
Summary: Thousands upon thousands of years ago, the Yiga split from the Sheikah in an act of defiance and rage. Now their assassins plague the remains of Hyrule doing the dirty work of Ganon. But one sole assassin, during her mission to destroy the Hero of legend, begins to question everything she's ever known about the Yiga, the Sheikah, and herself.
1. The Beginning

Depths of the Yiga

Chapter 1

 _The Beginning_

It was raining, and she was miserable.

The figure muttered to herself as she hunkered in the grass, wishing she'd picked up a cloak or a hat or something before she'd left the last outpost. She'd known that the hills outside of Hateno got more rain than Gerudo desert ever did, but she hadn't expected it to be this bad. She wasn't soaked to the skin, but the disguise she wore wouldn't keep off the rain forever. That blasted hero better come along soon so she could kill him and go back to Gerudo.

It was late in the evening, or at least she was pretty sure it was. The sun was hidden behind dark rainclouds currently in the process of dumping their heavy load upon her head before moving inland to water some pretty flowers in a field somewhere. It was getting dark, and fast. For a moment, she considered giving up and going back to the inn at Hateno Village, where it was warm and, more importantly, dry. But she shook that thought out of her head. The Clan would never forgive her if the Hero slipped past her because she wanted to take a nap rather than stay at her post. So she stayed in the rain.

She hoped it wouldn't be too much longer.

Finally a small glow appeared in the darkness and the mist. Her eyes sharpened as she hid herself lower in the grass, senses on alert as she scanned the oncoming wanderer. Could she finally have found the hero, her target and enemy of the Yiga?

No. It was just a kid. Her muscles relaxed and she let out a silent sigh. The traveler she saw was shorter than her, blonde hair matted and wet due to the pouring rain. His equipment was sparse, clothing barely protection from the rain that beat down upon them both. Really, the only thing of note about him at all was the source of the glow, a brown and orange square hanging from his waist bearing the sheikah symb…

 _Wait_. Her body tensed again as she lay flat in the grass, watching the traveler with a new sense of urgency. Only the hero of legend carried the sheikah slate. That was the one fact all the Yiga's information sources agreed upon.

 _But it couldn't possibly be this… kid._ She thought to herself as the figure approached through the rain. _He's so… short. And skinny. No way this kid could possibly be the hero who was destined to defeat Ganon._

But there it was, the proof swinging gently from his belt as he walked on, unwavering, through the rain. It didn't even seem to bother him.

 _This is too easy_. She thought, confident rather than cautious. _I'll just pretend to be a cowering traveler, fearful of some monster. Then, when he approaches, I'll kill him and end the threat against our Clan once and for all. Then I can FINALLY get out of this blasted rain!_

She curled her body, putting her legs under her and her arms over her head, a poor, unwary traveler accosted by some bokobin that had been plaguing the road recently. There was a disturbing number of them between Dueling Peaks stable and Hateno. It was the perfect bait. She waited.

And waited. After a few minutes, she peaked under her arm. The hero really should have passed her by now. The fabled hero of legend wouldn't really pass by a soul in need. Would he? She looked cautiously. The hero was nowhere in sight. She cautiously uncurled and looked around. Where could he have gone? It's not like there were any caves around her to take shelter from the rain in. She'd looked.

She finally spotted him, heading away from her toward a small copse of trees in a valley formed over time by the cliffs. _But there's nothing over there, just a bunch of creepy statues_. She thought to herself. Curious, she followed, staying in her disguise and crouched in the rain. It was dark, yes, but her Yiga uniform would still stand out like a beacon. No sense in attracting unwanted attention and losing the element of surprise…

She followed, hiding in the shadows of bushes and trees, keeping her distance as the Hero approached the Staring Stones. She'd never seen them at night, but there was an added level of apprehension in the night rain. The shadows they produced seemed to multiply and overcome their sources in the darkness. Then there was the one with purple eyes. She could have sworn they all looked normal during the day when she had first scouted the area, but this one now had glowing purple eyes that stared into her soul.

The hero didn't seem to be bothered by them, though, except for the one with purple eyes. He pulled out a bow, simple yet worn from constant use, and nocked a single arrow. Seconds later it had struck its mark.

The ground trembled. She braced herself against the trunk of the tree she had been hiding behind. Dirt flew into the air as a strange structure, laced with orange just like the Sheikah Slate, emerged from the ground, rumbling as it settled to rest in the rain-soaked ground. She'd seen ones similar to this one on her path from Gerudo to Necluda, but this….

 _What. What just happened?_ She almost panicked, but managed to keep her head and stay in the shadows _. No one said anything about him being able to summon buildings from NOWHERE._ The hero didn't seem to be the least surprised by this. He instead walked forward to the small pedestal and held the sheikah slate up to it. The structure rumbled again and opened, revealing a hidden chamber. The hero walked in and vanished in the darkness.

 _What's happening?_ She asked, struggling to come to terms with what she had just seen. _The hero is able to summon-and USE-these mysterious structures. He must be more powerful than we first anticipated. I should report this to Khoga…_

 _Wait._ A small voice said inside. _How did he do that? Is there more he can do that we don't know about? If we go back to Gerudo now, what are we going to do when Khoga asks us for more?_

 _We stay for now._ She decided, settling into the shadows as the rain, ever so slightly, began to lessen. _We stay and we observe. The more we know about the hero the easier it will be to exploit his weaknesses._

 _And he will fall._


	2. Battle Scars

**Depths of the Yiga**

 **Chapter 2**

 _Battle Scars_

She readjusted her grip and pulled herself a bit higher up in the tree, lamenting its height as she did so. Yiga footsoldiers were trained to strike quick and disappear; endurance was not a part of their build. But it was the only way she was going to see in the window, so she climbed.

 _It had been two weeks since she had first encountered the Hero. He still didn't know of her existence; she hid in the shadows and kept her distance whenever she could. Especially when he reached Hateno Village-Purah's telescope could see more than just the stars. He'd left soon after, seemingly wandering aimlessly across Hyrule, sometimes sticking to the roads and sometimes wandering off the path to forage for food or fight off a monster attacking a traveler. She watched his every move, observing his fighting tactics and looking for any weaknesses her brethren could take advantage of._

 _There didn't seem to be many. He was capable with any weapon he picked up, even the most rusted and useless of them. He wasn't reckless in battle, instead luring the enemy into attacking before darting to the side and striking from behind. He was quick, too; One encounter was already over before she had realized it begin. Even outside of combat he had few defects; he was sociable with everyone he met and his cooking was delicious. At least it smelled like it. She always managed to be downwind of him somehow whenever he started cooking._

 _One night in particular was memorable. She watched from the shade of the forest as he cooked himself a meal at the campfire at Wetland stable. Her stomach had grumbled, loud enough she was afraid the hero had heard her. She looked at her supplies, growing sparse the longer she went without returning to Gerudo or purchasing ingredients with her meager funds. Her Mighty Banana stock, most importantly, was worryingly low. She looked back at the stable, where the Hero had finished cooking and retired for the night._ It can't be that hard. _She'd thought to herself in a moment of desperation_. If he can cook so can I. He's just a male, after all. _She dove back into the forest and began to look around. He'd been using some mushrooms, she knew that much. There were a bunch lying at the base of a tree. She scooped them up, an acorn coming with it. She looked up and spotted a bird's nest, empty of fowl but with prize eggs lying in sight. She was up the tree and snatching them before she could stop herself. She barely remembered to put on her traveler's disguise as she approached the campfire. She looked at the ingredients she had gathered, then at the campfire, sparking merrily with a large pot over it. All he'd done was toss them in, right?_

 _The barest recollection of a cooking lesson from her youth simmered in her memory. She tossed few ingredients in the pot and waited. It wasn't long before she had a delicious dish in front of her. She had scarfed it down and vanished back into the night, still not daring to linger._

 _That was really good. She'd though to herself satisfactorily as she settled in a tree for the night. Maybe I should try that again sometime._

Another week passed, the hero seeming to roam endlessly across eastern Hyrule. She was beginning to wonder if the hero actually knew what he was doing when he'd arrived at Akkala Tech Lab. It was a tall building, just as kooky and lopsided, if not more, than Purah's back in Hateno. It was hard to miss-it stood at the top of a tall hill. It also had a semi-live Guardian sitting near the entrance. The hero had to put his speed to use in order to get past unharmed.

 _Screw that nonsense._ She'd thought, watching him go. _I'll go around._

So she did. She'd crept around in the woods near the Lab and had climbed a tree with a decent view. Not too close, of course-Robbi, as eccentric as he was, could spot a Yiga a mile away and had a good security system, as demonstrated by the guardian out front. But she needed to see in the window to find out what was going on. She was glad she still had the spyglass.

She finally perched herself on a branch and settled in to spy through the window. Despite the bright color being obvious in the green tree, she wore her Yiga uniform; her traveler's disguise wasn't meant for climbing trees. The leaves in the surrounding trees were enough different colors to serve as effective camouflage, at the very least. She braced her legs against the trunk of the tree, balancing herself on a branch as she brought the old bronze spyglass to bear.

There he was. He was talking with crazy old Robbi, who looked just as eccentric as he always did. She couldn't tell what they were saying, but it looked like they were in a bit of an argument. Robbi, especially, had a look of disbelief on his face. Did he not believe that this was the Hero? The argument continued for another minute. Then the Hero removed his tunic.

She fought to hold her breath lest a gasp escape and alert Robbi's security system. His chest was covered in scars, to the point there was more scar tissue than skin. Some of them looked deep, too. There were a few that showed, despite her distance from the window, the telltale marks of a burn. Perhaps from a guardian's beam? The one outside the lab had set a good few trees on fire before a small shower put them out-they were dangerous.

 _Papi always said that a good warrior always had a few scars to tell tales with_. She thought, mesmerized. _But this… I'm amazed he survived at all. The rumors said he fell in battle when Ganon returned. He surely couldn't have gotten all of those at once… right?_

The scars impressed Robbi, at the very least. They also seemed to convince him that yes, this was indeed the hero of legend. The hero put his tunic back on and they continued the conversation, unknowing of the hidden assassin in the distance. She continued to watch, entirely entranced by the hero and the distant conversation.

"Pst!"

"Gah!" She startled, fumbling to keep the spyglass from falling out of the tree. Despite its history, it was too valuable for her to lose. "What are you doing here?" She said, turning to glare at the Yiga footsoldier hanging from a branch lower in the tree.

"I came to find you." He said, swinging himself up onto the branch with a bit of effort. "It's been two weeks since you reported back to Master Khoga. We thought the hero had killed you."

"What? Please," She replied, relaxing but tightening her grip on the spyglass. "I'm not that stupid. I'm not going to get myself killed by an old crust like him." Even though "old crust" was the loosest description of the hero she could give. "Have you got any Mighty Bananas? My supply ran out two days ago."

"Here." He said, tossing up a banana at her. It had vanished under her mask in an instant. She sighed in relief as delicious fruit passed through her lips. "Thanks."

"Then what have you been doing?" Her fellow soldier asked, curious.

"Reconnaissance. If I can find a weakness we can exploit…"

"Then it will be easier for us to kill him." Her partner followed. "Have you found anything?"

"Not yet. Despite being over a century old he's still strong. I've yet to see him pick up a weapon he can't handle, and he's fast. He might even be too much for both of us, even in his current state."

"That's not much of a report to give to Master Khoga."

"No weaknesses, but it should keep our fellow soldiers from blindly throwing themselves up against him. The hero is completely different from any of our previous reports."

"How?"

There was a noise in the distance, and she propped up her spyglass to watch the lab. "You can see for yourself. He's leaving the lab now." She told him, pointing at the door to the lab. The hero had just walked out the front door and was scouting the area, probably to see if there was a path that didn't lead past an angry Guardian.

Her partner squinted. "Wait, that's him? He's so…"

"Young, I know."

"Short." Her partner, his face still hidden by the mask, was incredulous. "We both tower over him. We can take him out, no problem."

"Did you hear anything I just said?" She asked with irritation. "He's a lot stronger than he looks. He's got scars from a 100-year old battle that would kill any ordinary man, even a Sheikah warrior… And _he lived._ I'm not going to try to fight him unless the odds are on my side and then some." She pointed at the hero in the distance. "Unless you think you can challenge him alone?" She looked, then spun around and looked again. "Hang on, is he…"

"Coming right this way?" Her partner asked as the hero sailed across the valley on a parasail that had no right to support a grown man's weight, short or no. "If we're not going to fight him…"

"Let's stay back for now." She said, swinging herself out of the perch and climbing back down the tree. They retreated, staying in the shadows as the hero landed not too far from the tree they had been hiding in. He landed gracefully and vanished into the woods, cutting down Moblins left and right.

"Woah…" Her partner said, watching him fight.

"My point exactly." She whispered to him. "Report back to Khoga with this information." She said, handing him a small scroll. "I will continue to monitor the hero and track his movements. He will show a weakness eventually. And then he will fall to the Yiga."

 _If he does have a weakness…_ She thought to herself. _Or we're all going to be in BIG trouble…_


	3. Addiction

**Depths of the Yiga**

 **Chapter 3**

 _Addiction_

It was cloudy, but at least it had stopped raining. She couldn't believe she had the hero to thank for that, of all people. But he'd somehow managed to calm the Divine Beast Vah Ruta, whose thunderous spout had been plaguing Zora's Domain with an endless downpour. He'd vanished inside soon after the beast had stopped moving, and had only occasionally emerged as a path led him from the inside to the exterior of the Beast, and back again.

 _What in Hyrule is he doing over there?_ She asked herself as she leaned back on her heels. She'd set up camp under a small ledge on the cliffs between Zora's Domain and Lanayru Great Spring, giving her a good view of both areas. _Does he plan to use it for himself? It's not like he can get that thing out of the lake and march it over to Hyrule Castle…_

That "Thing" was impressive, she had to admit. Vah Ruta towered over the lake, even half-submerged as it was. Parts of it glowed blue and pink as the interior systems fought with Ganon's influence for control over the ancient mechanical monstrosity. _It's hard to believe that our-the Sheikah actually built these, let alone that they've lasted for over 10,000 years unused._ She thought to herself. _And then they let all that technology and power go to waste…_

Her stomach growled, and she frowned. Ever since she started her reconnaissance mission she'd felt the need to eat more often, and in larger portions. It was probably because following the hero had taken her across most of the eastern border of Hyrule, over almost a month. She was up earlier and later as she followed the Hero, still keeping her distance but being forced to survive in an unforgiving wilderness when there was no stable to be found. At least her muscles had quit aching every time she needed to climb something higher than a woodpile.

She lowered her spyglass and leaned back against a rock, feeling the moisture from her breath hit her mask as she let out a long sigh. Fending for herself was tough. More often than not she'd gone to bed hungry because she hadn't been able to kill anything for dinner, and mushrooms could only go so far. Her stomach growled again, and she grimaced. She'd only eaten a couple hours before, she couldn't be hungry again already?

But this was a different kind of growl, one that came from some dark depths of her being. One that she'd been steadfastly ignoring as best she could. Her body hungered, craved for that one thing she could not have, had been denied to her as her solitary hunting had kept her from civilization and even her fellow Yiga.

Mighty Bananas.

She let out a small whimper as the mental image of those delicious yellow fruit blossomed in her mind's eye. She'd been trying not to think about the fact she hadn't had one since she ran into _ outside of the Akkala tech Lab. Thinking about it would only make it worse. But she hadn't seen any of her fellow soldiers since then, and none of the merchants around here seemed to sell them. Come to think about it, she wasn't even sure where in Hyrule the bananas were native to. They certainly didn't grow in Gerudo desert-nothing grew out there but Rushrooms and the occasional batch of Yellow Safflina. Yet somehow Khoga had kept an impressive stock to feed his followers with.

 _He must have a supplier somewhere…_ She thought, desperately trying to think of anything but her precious, delicious bananas _. No way they would grow in the Hebra region, that's about as barren as Gerudo. Death Mountain's definitely out. Maybe in the south?_

 _That does it._ She thought. _Once the hero goes south I'm going to take a day off and find some Mighty Bananas, or I'm going to go insane._

There was a sudden, loud blast of noise as Vah Ruta shuddered back to life. She scrambled for her spyglass, then realized she didn't need it as the entire Divine Beast began to move, vanishing under the surface of the lake.

 _Is it dead?_ She wondered as the lake surface stilled. _And where is the hero? Is he dead?_ Which, despite being exactly what she wanted, worried her significantly. She watched, tense, as the lake stilled. Nothing moved for a long time _. I guess he really is dead. Well, time to report back to Khoga…_ She didn't know why, but her heart saddened as she stood up and began to pack her camp. It's not like she enjoyed following the hero through every backwoods, abandoned part of Hyrule. Far from it. But for some reason she didn't want to return to Gerudo Desert just yet.

 _Can't be helped. The mission is over._ She told herself firmly _. You get to go back to base, declare the demise of the hero and eat all the mighty bananas you want._ But even a mighty banana didn't seem to lift her spirits. What was wrong with her?

She packed the last of her meager supplies into a bag and stood up, stretching her arms above her head. It was a long way back to Gerudo, might as well start…

WHAT THE?!

She froze, her eyes glued to the mountain that towered above her. Vah Ruta, in all her bronze and blue glory, sat perched at the top of the mountain, leveling a red beam towards Hyrule castle, preparing for the final attack on Ganon. Several choice words came to mind as she looked from the lake to the top of the mountain and back again. _How in Blazing Hinoxes did that thing get up there?! That's impossible…_

There was the sound of cheering in the distance. She fumbled for her spyglass and looked down at Zora's domain. The entire village had gathered in the throne room to celebrate, likely the end of the rain. She looked closer, and there, still wearing that Zora tunic was…

 _Of course he survived_. She thought bitterly. _If Vah Ruta can moved from the bottom of a lake to the top of a mountain, he can magically appear in the village unscathed. Guess my mission isn't over yet._

A tiny part of heart leaped in delight.

Another week passed. After Leaving Zora's domain, Link had gone, to her confusion and delight, straight south, passing the Dueling Peaks as he followed the long forgotten road to the sea. The weather turned warmer the sun staying out more as the season turned towards summer. And then it grew hot. And wet.

 _This again? I thought I left the rain behind in Zora's domain_. She grumbled to herself as she walked along the path. The Hero was somewhere ahead, fighting off a lizalfos attack. A fine mist hung in the air even though it wasn't raining, creating a wet skin on her disguise. Her Yiga Uniform, as light as it was, stuck out far too much in all this greenery. The jungle she'd found herself in was also tangled and confusing. The last thing she wanted was to lose track of the hero, only for him to appear out of the trees behind her and blow the whole operation.

 _Not that it's hard to lose him._ She thought, listening to the sound of sword on wood as the hero fought unseen assailants. _Subtlety is not one of his strong suits_. She hefted her bag over her shoulder and stepped off the path, which had grown slick and muddy. _It's going to be getting dark soon. I really hope he doesn't plan on camping out in this weather._

A flash of yellow caught her eye. At first she was on guard; there were yellow Wizzrobes in the area that, should they decide to attack, made fighting with any metal weapon extremely dangerous. Which, unfortunately, she had. The last thing she wanted was to get caught in a battle she couldn't win. The hero had barely fought one off earlier. He'd emerged victorious, and even added a lighting rod to his arsenal. As if he wasn't dangerous enough. But the faint yellow splotch didn't move. Peering at it through the mist, she realized it wasn't a creature at all, but…

 _Mighty Bananas!_ Caution was thrown to the wind as she leapt off the path and scaled the small cliff to reach the bananas. There was a small grove of them, dancing in a breeze that didn't reach the valley below. She kicked the trunk of the nearest tree with a solid thwack that sent several bananas raining down. She picked one up in delight, inspecting it carefully. Thankfully it hadn't bruised when it fell from the tree. It was a perfect yellow, five in the bunch. She pried one off, mouth salivating at the deliciousness within. She ate happily.

But something wasn't right. She took the banana and inspected it. It was a Mighty Banana, but it didn't taste like the ones from the Yiga hideout. It didn't taste bad, just… different. She cautiously took another bite. These ones were sweeter, crisper than the ones she was used to. There was something missing, but she couldn't quite put her finger on it. She ate the rest of the banana, and felt stronger than she had before.

 _That's odd_. She thought as she gathered the other fallen bananas into her pack. She'd had her fill, but for some reason the gnawing hunger remained, lurking although fainter than before. _Maybe the ones Khoga gets are grown in a different soil? It can't be the bananas themselves, even though these actually taste better now that I've had one. I'll have to ask when I get back._

 _If I get back_. She realized _. It's been over a month since I was back at base. I barely remember what it looks like. As long as I'm tracking the hero, I'll never go back to… home._ But was it home? It was hard to think of it as such any more. She'd been gone for so long.

She looked around, and realized that there were more bananas in the trees, as well as a host of other fruit. They were almost falling off the giant green trees. Birds could be heard in the distance, as well as a waterfall. It was almost peaceful _. This is such a lush jungle_. She thought. _You'd never want for food here. Is this why the hero came this way?_

She heard a _Thwack_ in the distance. She looked down to see the hero pound the side of a tree, bringing down a spiky fruit on his own head. She couldn't help but giggle as a particularly large one konked him on the head, bouncing off with an almost cartoonish sound. She peeled open another banana, coming to enjoy the sweet taste. Base could wait. There was still the mission… And maybe some of those spiky fruit. She wondered what they were called…


	4. Inheritance

_**Greetings, folks! Just a quick Author's note before we begin the next chapter. I was asked by a reader if the Mighty Bananas the Clan eats are drugged. Very astute! The Yiga's Mighty Bananas are indeed laced with something, but I won't tell you what until a later chapter. After all, the senior members must ensure loyalty to the clan... One way or another.**_

* * *

 **Depths of the Yiga**

 **Chapter 4**

 _Inheritance_

Inheritance. It was such a funny word. She curled up on a branch and munched an apple as she contemplated the meaning of the word. _Something, as a quality, characteristic, or other immaterial possession, received from progenitors or predecessors as if by succession_. She wasn't sure why the word had popped into her head, but now it remained, like a stubborn bit of sand on the bottom of her foot. Inheritance. Why did it appear now?

Ah, yes…

The hero wasn't in sight. Today, she didn't really care. He'd worked his way back to the north after taking a detour through the Faron region to replenish supplies, strength-enhancing fruit and fish in particular. She'd taken the opportunity to refill her own supplies as well, soon creating a small feast of fresh foods in her supply bag. It was so much fuller than it was when she had left Gerudo. Over a month of being forced to fend for herself had expanded her palate, if nothing else.

 _Don't tell Khoga, or he'll make you do all the cooking when you get back._ A voice teased in the back of her head. It was a younger voice, from days long past and best forgotten.

 _If I get back._ She thought bitterly _. I'm beginning to think not even Ganon can kill this guy._

Khoga. Leader of the Yiga. She paused in the middle of a bite. That wasn't his real name, of course. No one knew what it really was. "Khoga" was more of a legacy title. After all, no one of that man's girth could have lasted as long as the hero did without any sort of decay in ability. Nii always said that Khoga's belly was "so handsome!" but She herself thought otherwise. It was not the same impressive girth the Gorons had; theirs still portrayed their immense strength. Khoga's was more of a warrior who had been away from the battlefield too long, and had let time and Mighty Banana drinks sap his agility and dexterity.

And yet he was the leader of the Yiga tribe. The idea burned sourly in her stomach, ruining the crisp taste of apple on her lips. Khoga, that fat idiot who could barely control the "secret" techniques of his forefathers, the leader of a competent and vast clan of assassins, spies, and dark warriors. And she, she had been left with an inheritance of…

That.

So that was why the word was ingrained in her mind today. She spat the apple out of her lips in disgust. She had thrown her inheritance away when she left, but it still haunted her dreams and her darkest thoughts. It wasn't fair. What had once been a great and profound honor was nothing but a hollow shell, a mockery of what it had once been. How her sister could bear that burden was a mystery to her. She stared into the shadows of the trees viciously. The hero had gone today into the one place she had sworn the day she left she would never step foot into again.

Kakariko.

It had been raining the night she left. Her friends were gathered around her, cloaks bundled on themselves in the darkness. They'd been talking for months. Now was the time to put their plan into action. They were leaving.

The offer the Yiga gave was too sweet to resist; actual family, power, worth, all the mighty bananas they could eat…They all felt confined in this village, now left with nothing but elders and small children. They all felt suffocated by the Sheikah's promise of "serve the royal family" even though there was no royal family left to serve. The elders insisted on staying in the village and waiting for the Royal Family to return. The young group in the shadows didn't feel like waiting.

 _And how can they return?_ She'd asked herself as they crept to the edge of the village _. They all died in Ganon's return a hundred years ago. It's pointless. And even if they DO somehow return, why should we serve them? They betrayed us. Time and time again, the royal family has betrayed the Sheikah. Why should we continue to lend them our strength?_

Few lamps were lit at this hour, allowing the disturbingly large group of teenagers to vanish in the night. She looked up at one of the houses she passed, Dorian and Clementa's. A candle was lit in one of the windows as the happily married couple told a bedtime story to their two children, one of them newly born. It almost felt wrong to leave them; they were such a wonderful family. They would be one of the few people she missed.

One of the few. Most of the families here drove her insane with their petty squabbles. Cado and Rola had been arguing for a week about Cucoos, and the ever-present rivalry between two of the oldest families in the village had reached a new level of spite. There was no Sheikah pride to be found here. Her friends and herself craved something more out of life, some form of worth, something they could work towards and have pride in.

Then they met the Yiga.

The assassin they'd met was skulking in the woods outside the village when her friend had first encountered him. He had whispered sweet nothings to them as he shared some mighty bananas he happened to have on him. As the weeks had dragged on, the Assassin had whispered in their ears about the power the Yiga had, their mission to destroy the hero who had brought about the destruction of Hyrule, how their clan had far more strength and prestige than the Sheikah would ever have…

His words, coated with more honey than a courser bee nest, had enticed the rebellious and frustrated group of teens. Together they had made a pact; they would leave Kakariko and join the Yiga, leaving their worthless heritage behind, forsaking their inheritances.

She'd turned her back on her village, her people, that night. And she swore as she vanished into the shadows of the cliffs that she would never return to such a worthless place.

And yet here she was. Sitting in a tree well outside the village borders as the hero conducted his business. She couldn't see much of it from here, just the waterfall and the tips of the roofs, the tree she and her best friend used to play under when they were little…

She shook the memory from her head. She'd swore she'd leave the Sheikah behind. But here they were, bubbling from some dark spring in her thoughts. No matter how far she ran, she couldn't leave her heritage.

And then another dark thought surfaced.

 _Are the Yiga really any better?_

The thought startled her. Where had that come from? She'd joined the Yiga because they promised her far more than the Sheikah ever could.

 _And have they delivered?_

Yes! Of course….

She thought. Long and hard, she thought about what the Yiga had promised her versus what she had been given. Power. Value. A real family. A chance to be free of a haunting legacy.

 _Power._ She was one of the foot soldiers, nothing more than a body to throw against an obstacle until it moved.

 _Value._ Same point. Khoga rarely, if ever, addressed them by name.

 _A real family_. Yes, they all slept and ate together. But none of them really talked, even saw each other outside the masks anymore.

 _Freedom._ Far from it, if anything, the legacy of the Yiga was just as daunting as the Sheikah…

She shook her head frantically, trying to rid her mind of traitorous thoughts. Ever since they had left the Akkala region thoughts like these, dangerous ones that tried to turn her against the Yiga, had been plaguing her mind. In the darkness of night, a small part of her, enticed by the freedom of the wind and the endless bounty of the wild, wondered if joining the Yiga had been a good idea.

 _Of course, it was, don't be silly._ The rest of her said. _We're far better off with our friends and…_

Her friends. She hadn't seen them in weeks, couldn't remember their faces anymore. Even their names, the ones they had taken when they joined the Yiga, barely left a scratch on her memory. It was if they had become ghosts of her past, just as Kakariko and the Sheikah had.

 _I mean, I've become a better warrior than before I left…_

 _Have you?_ Her ability with the sickle, a short-ranged weapon that left her open for attack frequently, was negligible. She hated using it, although she wouldn't admit it even to herself. She missed the feel of the long pole of a Ngatia in her hand.

 _Well, there's also the mighty bananas…_

 _You haven't eaten a Mighty Banana in two weeks_. The small part of her said. And it was right. Her thirst, her longing for Mighty Bananas had waned ever since they passed through the Faron region.

 _Face it. You aren't Sheikah, but you aren't part of the Yiga clan anymore_. The small, nasty part of her said. _You don't belong in either tribe._

 _No! That can't be true_. She thought desperately _. I swore I would never go back to that shrinking hellhole of pathetic, useless…._

"Mama!"


	5. Family

**Depths of the Yiga**

 **Chapter 5**

 _Family_

A voice shook her out of her reverie. She jumped, vanishing higher in the tree as she looked down. She hadn't been wearing her Uniform, instead opting for her traveler's disguise. A good, thing, too; Sheikah, weak or not, would never tolerate a Yiga so close to their village. She peeked through the branches of the tree, wary of whoever approached.

"Mama!" The voice called again. A small Sheikah girl, barely older than 4, poked her head around a tree trunk. "Come out and play, Mama!" She ran out, her small legs daintily stepping around roots as she frolicked through the trees.

 _No, it can't be…_ She breathed to herself, watching the small child. _That can't be Cottla. She's gotten so big. She was just a newborn when I left._ But, although she racked her brain with all her might, she couldn't remember any other children in the village. It had to be Cottla. _Has it been that long?_

The child peeked around another tree. "Mama!" She called, cheerful yet curious. "Where did you go?" The child wasn't the least bit afraid, wandering around trees with a carefree air. "Come out and play, Mama!"

 _Where is Clementa?_ She wondered, sitting up in her tree branch. _It wouldn't be like her to let her child wander so far from the village on her own_. A small part of her grew nervous. Sure, there weren't any monsters out in these woods-not that she'd ever seen, anyway-but there were plenty of natural creatures like bears that would be more than happy to gobble up an innocent little childlike Cottla for breakfast. She scanned the forest around her. Nothing big and hairy lurked in the shadows, thankfully. Just a few birds, a squirrel, and a happy child looking for her mother.

She relaxed, leaning against the trunk of the tree only to feel something sharp poke the small of her back. She pulled the offending item out of its pocket.

Despite her claims that she had left the Sheikah and all parts of her heritage behind, there were a couple of small, sentimental items she'd smuggled away with her. The object in her hand was a Kunai, from her earliest training days. She held it in her hand and remembered the earliest days as she struggled to aim the small knife at the hay-stuffed targets they used for practice.

 _Don't throw it like a boomerang_. Clementa had said, kneeling and changing the position of her hand _. Think of it as the point of an arrow; straight and swift. Your arm is the shaft, sending the arrowhead to its target. Flick your wrist, and let the shape of the knife do the work; it is a Kunai, not a throwing star._

She smiled softly, hefting the Kunai in her hand. She'd gotten good at Kunai throwing; one of the best out of all her friends. Those and the Ngatia. Her favorite weapons to work with, spending hours in the training ring letting the shaft spin gracefully around her body, spearing targets without scarcely leaving her spot. Maybe that was why she hated the Sickle with such a passion-it required her to get up close and personal with her target, who could easily strike back since the sickle offered little in the way of defense. One missed strike and it was over. Clementa had been an excellent teacher.

A bush rustled. She snapped herself back to the present, focusing her senses around her. The child still sang to herself, poking her head around trees and bushes looking for her mother.

The birds had gone quiet.

She leaned forward. The only weapons she had on her were the sickle and the lone Kunai in her hand, a weapon she hadn't wielded four years. Her aim had taken a turn for the worse in that time. She could feel the stiffness in her arm even as she thought of trying to hit something. But the sickle would require her to leave the tree, and put herself at risk of exposure. And Death.

A boar emerged from the bushes. It was large, black, with beady red eyes filled with anger. A nearby squirrel took one look at it and fled for the top of another tree. The boar roared and looked for the source of the only noise left in the forest; Cottla.

The little girl finally stopped her singing and turned to look at the roar. Round, innocent grey eyes met the fierce red ones. She started to tremble in fear, drawing in on herself as the beast scrutinized her with its blazing eyes. Finally, some inner strength took hold. She screamed at the top of her lungs and ran.

The beast pawed the ground and roared again, ready to give chase.

 _One shot._ She breathed. _And I can't miss._

She hefted the Kunai Into her good throwing hand, the fingers easily taking form around the edges of the blade as if they had done so only yesterday. She aimed.

 _Straight, like an arrowhead and a shaft._ A calm voice said in her mind. She focused.

The beast lowered its head, ready to charge.

The Kunai flew through the air and sank deep into the forehead of its target. The boar stumbled, dazed, and then fell to the forest floor, dead.

She let loose a long, slow breath that she hadn't realized she'd been holding. Tense muscles began to relax as adrenaline ran its course and her pulse slowed. Cottla was safe.

Where was she?

"Daddy!" A happy voice cried from the nearby clearing.

She turned quickly. Dorian would definitely find her if he came to investigate. She didn't even bother to climb down, instead jumping from tree to tree, further from the village until the boar remained only just within her sightline. Cottla was but a faint cry in the distance.

"Daddy! There was a monster in the forest!" She heard the girl cry. "It tried to eat me!"

"Calm down, Cottla, it's okay, you're safe." Her father replied. She could hear the relief in his voice. "Do you want me to go look?"

"No!" The little girl cried. "It's a big scary monster! Stay here with me!"

"Cottla!"

"Big brother can go look!"

 _Big Brother?_ She thought. _Koko and Cottla don't have an older brother…_

Her thoughts stilled as the hero appeared through the trees. … _Of course_. She thought. _What little girl wouldn't want a big brother like him?_

It didn't take long for the hero to find the dead boar. He gave it a good kick to make sure it was dead, then knelt down to investigate the Kunai still buried in its head. A long string of words that would have made her grandmother rise her mouth out with soap ran through her mind. She'd left her precious Kunai behind when she fled, and there was no getting it back now. The hero, holding the kunai in one hand, grabbed the back legs of the boar with the other and dragged it back in the direction of the village.

Small parts of her were still swearing as she crept back through the trees. Maybe she would get lucky and the hero would leave it behind.

"See, Cottla? It's dead now, it can't hurt you." She heard Dorian say. "This Kunai struck it and killed it."

"It's still scary!" Cottla wailed, obviously burying her head into her father's shoulder. She could hear Dorian's distant, gentle laugh. "Even that knife thing is scary!"

"Oh, don't be scared of the Kunai. It's just a tool. Your mother was quite skilled at wielding them. This even looks like one of hers…"

"Do you think Mama killed the boar for me?"

"…Come on, let's go back to the village. It's getting dark, and Koko's still waiting for you with dinner."

"Dinner! What's for dinner?" Cottla asked, quickly forgetting about her fear of the monster.

"Pumpkin soup, just like your mother used to make."

"Yay! When's Mama going to come home and make it?"

There was a long silence. "Cottla… Your mother's gone."

"Well… When is she coming back?" The little voice asked, fading in the distance as the group of three walked back to the village.

She sat, frozen in the tree. Dorian's words hadn't registered with her as much as his tone of voice had. That silence… She had only heard it one other time.

The time she found out her father wasn't coming home.

 _No no no no no no…._

She swung herself down from the tree and raced through the woods. All thoughts of hiding vanished as she flew towards the one place that scared her even more than the village. It began to rain, but she didn't even notice as she reached the gates of that dreaded place.

Kakariko Graveyard.

 _No no no no nononononono…._

She dashed amongst the tombstones and pillars, centuries of warriors and scientists long since lost marking their place in the ground. She saw the one sight she didn't want to see, one that scarred her eyes and stabbed her though the heart.

A single tombstone, the grass in front of it obviously fresher and newer than the soil around it. Most of the words were hard to make out in the growing rain, But the Largest and clearest chilled her to the bone.

Clementa.

 ** _NO!_**

A single wail escaped her lips as she collapsed at the grave of her mentor. All thought, concept of alliance or fealty toward a tribe or clan melted in the rain as the young warrior mourned someone who had been more than a mentor, a teacher.

She had been family.


	6. Companionship

Hoo boy! This is a looong chapter. The story's going to get more in-depth from here as our little semi-heroine starts to form her own identity separate from the Yiga, so expect longer chapters in the future.

And thanks for all the favorites and follows! I'm glad you guys love the story unfolding as much as I do!

* * *

 **Depths of the Yiga**

 **Chapter 6**

 _Companionship_

A week passed and she barely noticed.

The rain didn't let up. A torrential storm that most of Hyrule hadn't seen in centuries crashed across the landscape. She didn't notice. Her constant vigil of the hero remained, hidden in the shadows and in the distance, but her heart wasn't in surveillance. The grave was ever present in her mind, haunting her every thought. It almost got her killed more than once, in terrain in constant downpour and monsters armed to the teeth with electric weaponry.

She didn't care.

She'd retreated behind her Yiga mask, looking for some form of comfort in the tight confines of the uniform. But the skintight fabric only bound her further, causing further discomfort in the pouring rain and the taste of lightning in the air. The mask and the rain did nothing to hide her tears.

It hurt. The burning sensation in her chest when she found her beloved mentor had been killed. The despair in her heart that wailed at the loss of one of the few bright spots in her life. The callousness of her fellow Yiga, once her former Sheikah companions, at the end of Clementa's life.

"So?" Er Shisi had said, during her annual check-in a few days ago. "She was a Sheikah. We left that behind us. No connections left. We're Yiga now. We don't care about them."

But Clementa had been different. Even though they had denied every fragment of their Sheikah heritage when they left the tribe, she'd still held on to the teachings of Clementa. They'd been hidden in the depths of her memory, forgotten as she took on the mask and the mantle of Yiga. But here, out in the wilderness where alliances didn't matter, they'd emerged to wage war on everything she held dear.

And they were winning.

Of course, they were. The Yiga clan had taught them very little; most of their training still came from the styles of the Sheikah. It was natural, after all. The Yiga had split from the Sheikah in an age long gone by, it was not a far reach by any means to assume that fighting styles would remain similar. But every technique she had used to survive out in the wilderness, from hunting to fighting to stealth, was sole Sheikah. The Yiga cared nothing about that which did not relate to their ultimate goal of destroying the hero. Skills like cooking, foraging, even many of her hunting skills came from her heritage rather than her claim. The Yiga took her beloved lessons and twisted them to suit their needs.

But when faced with the wideness of the world, both Sheikah and Yiga became very, very small indeed.

She wanted to curl up and die.

The days passed, and the downpour continued. It had a remarkable effect on the landscape; travelers stayed indoors waiting for the storm to pass, farmers staying out of their fields. Except for the hero. He soldiered on across the landscape, tracking shrines and rare materials. Had she been more focused on her reconnaissance, she would have noticed he was gathering such items as cold darners and cool safflina. But she wasn't, instead sinking ever deeper into a dark depression that threatened to encapsulate her in shadow.

Until one day…

A tingle at the edge of her senses shook her out of her reverie. She raised her head, water dripping down her mask as she looked up. They were just south of Hyrule Ridge, in the shadow of Satori Mountain. She shifted in the bush she had been crouched behind, allowing the branches to bend just so to clear her vision. The Hero had spent the day scouring the mountain for plants and fruits to add to his ever-increasing stock of supplies. It was a good place to gather; the mountain seemed to be bursting with fruit and Hyrule Herbs. But he had stopped around mid-day, making himself a campfire under the shelter of a cliff face. Her bush was the closet cover that also served as protection from the relentless rain.

But it wasn't his cooking that tingled her senses. No, this was something else entirely. She considered the sensation, prodding it in her mind trying to figure out how she was feeling it. It wasn't the cold rain or the scent of burning wood caught by the breeze or the taste of sweat on her tongue. No, this wasn't a sensation that could be felt with any of the normal senses. It was the kind that makes the hair stand up on the back of her neck and her muscles shift into a new sense of awareness. It was the sensation of a Spirit.

Her attention sharpened, focusing on the Hero through the rain. The Yiga, of course, couldn't sense anything more complex than a banana in front of their faces; the ability to sense beings from beyond had come from the Sheikah. It was a rare skill, and not one that many of her friends had even bothered to learn. She herself had only learned it at the insistence of her Grandmother, never thinking she would use it in the confined world of their village.

The air seemed to shimmer next to the hero as he sat next to the fire. Finally, a form took shape from the mist and the shadows she could have sworn had not been there before. It began to solidify, darkness forming itself into limbs and a center in nearly an instant.

 _What has this hero summoned_? She asked herself in alarm. _And how? What spirit or warrior has he called from the planes beyond to serve him?_

Finally, the form solidified, a tail and a long nose completing the form as a large Wolf appeared out of the darkness. He was larger than the wolves that wandered the hills in Akkala; while those sported a bright blue fur this one was white and black, with a large bunch of hair just behind his head that was almost green. What she found the oddest through were the earrings piercing his ears. Those, and the eyes that were unlike any beast's she had ever seen.

The Wolf, having solidified on this plane, looked around then yawned a great yawn. Then he stretched, his lithe form moving easily even in the small cramped space. Then he stepped gently over the Hero's legs and flopped unceremoniously into his lap, his great body slowly collapsing into a furry heap. The hero merely smiled and began to absentmindedly stroke the wolf's long mane, letting his gaze wander across the landscape as the rain continued to fall.

 _What is this?_ She wondered, leaning back and letting the branches fall into place _. He summoned a mighty spirit from the worlds beyond as a lap warmer? What kind of brazen hero is this guy?_

She peered through the branches again, watching the odd duo in the distance. She studied them closely, her interest piqued by this unexpected action. As she watched, she noticed that the smile on the hero's face was not the bright, cheery smile he wore around the villagers of Kakariko or Hateno, or even the stable hands at whatever stable he happened to stop at. This was a quieter, more content smile that was not trying to appeal or please anyone. The wolf seemed to wear a similar expression, even though its eyes were closed. They both just seemed…content to be in each other's company and listen to the rain.

 _Companionship?_ She watched through the dripping branches _. But he is loved in all the places he visits. Most of them anyway. He should have no trouble finding friends or acquaintances. Why does he summon a spirit for company?_

She watched as the hero shifted, taking his gaze off the rain He looked down at the wolf in his lap, who was happily enjoying the fire and the warmth it gave. She couldn't hear his words from that distance, but she could tell that he had started talking to the wolf, a gentle cadence that went on and on.

 _For someone usually so quiet, he sure likes to talk_. She noticed. _He never seems to talk this much in town…_

She sat back in the bush, contemplating the events she had witnessed. As she thought, she realized there was a feeling of a growing emptiness in her heart, an aching for something missing. She looked at the grass beside her, wet and cold and empty, then back at the Hero's small camp and the duo watching the rain fall.

 _None of the people in the villages can give him this._ She realized. _Very few have any close connection with him, and they are unable to leave the villages due to old age. This wolf is the closest thing he has to a friend or close companion_. She realized. _And he is lucky to have even that._

The emptiness seemed to intensify. She, for a moment, yearned for one of her clanmates to be at her side, to laugh and to joke and chase away the loneliness. But she shook the thought away. The last time she had seen any of her so-called friends they had laughed off her worries and concerns as un-Yiga and chastised her for thinking outside the mindset of their group. When she had needed them, they had turned away. She hugged her legs a bit closer to her chest and sighed, the end coming out as a small whimper. She watched the campfire with a sort of longing. She couldn't approach the Hero, but she wished for the same sense of companionship he had.

But then…

A thought struck her. A wild, rebellious thought that was neither Yiga or Sheikah or any alliance at all. There was a way for her to have a friend. She would be scorned by the Yiga for certain, but in that moment, she didn't care in the slightest. She needed a friend.

So she was going to find one.

She took one last look at the campfire before creeping away through the bushes and trees down the hillside towards Outskirt stable. It wasn't long before she found what she was looking for; A wild horse herd. They were hiding under a copse of trees, out of the rain. She crept through the grass, letting the rain mask her footsteps. Her mind raced back to early in her reconnaissance, when the hero had tamed a horse of his own. He only seemed to use it when returning to a village or travelling between stables; it had made tracking him increasingly hard. But his method, hopefully, was solid. She watched the herd patiently, watching them move about until they seemed to settle. They were beautiful, powerful bodies sleek with rain and manes warm and thick around their necks. She finally spotted one that stood out from the rest; one with brown hair and a cream mane, its face marked white like snow. It looked different from the others in the herd, which were mostly black or a strange shade of blue. She watched as it wandered away, gently.

 _That's the one._

She began to move, then paused. From watching the hero, she knew that the rider developed a close relationship with the horse. She considered her options, then swapped in a puff of smoke from her Yiga uniform to her disguise. The blood-red bodysuit and mask seemed an affront to this wonderful creature in front of her, even if her disguise was more clumsy and loud. Still, thanks to the rain, she was able to creep up on the horse without spooking it. She held her breath, waiting for the horse to bow its head to the earth to take a bite of grass. Then she pounced.

Naturally, the horse was not happy to have a new passenger upon it. It lunged and bucked, desperate to remove this sudden load from its back. It took all of her strength and stamina to stay on, desperately clinging to the mane as the horse reared. The rest of the herd spooked and fled into the forest. She reached up tentatively, her strength wavering, and patted the horse on the head.

"Easy there, easy…" She whispered, fighting to keep her grip. "I'm not going to hurt you, easy…"

Finally the horse settled down, accustomed now to the weight on its back. She adjusted herself on its back, straightening her back and looking at the beast she was perched upon. Suddenly she felt afraid; she had managed to tame the horse, somewhat. Now what did she do?

The horse turned and looked at her expectantly, seeming to ask her the same question with a look that could almost be described as incredulous. She hesitated, then looked through the forest. Outskirt Stable wasn't too far from here. Hopefully she could ride the horse that far to get it registered. Maybe it would even like her a bit more by the time she got there.

"Okay then." She said nervously, sitting a little straighter and gently taking two fistfuls of mane in her hands. "To Outskirt Stable." And hesitantly nudged the horse in the side with her boot.

It was slow going. The horse was interested in going in any direction except the one she wanted. It also got impatient, rearing without notice and forcing her to balance precariously to stay on. Every time the horse bucked or reared she reached forward and gently soothed it, trying to create a connection with the willful beast.

Somehow, finally, they made it to the stable. Stable hands and dogs roamed the grounds, at least on a sunny day. But in the rain, they remained indoors, a single stable hand at the front counter the only indication that anyone was there at all. She gently prodded the horse forward, more confident than she had been before about her riding abilities.

"Hey there!" The stable hand said, raising his hand in greeting as she approached. "I see you've tamed a fine horse there. Would you like to register it? It's a 20 rupee fee that goes toward supporting our conservation efforts, and you even get a nice saddle."

"Of course." She replied. Anything to make the ride a little smoother. She didn't intend to ride bareback forever.

"Okay, whose name am I registering the horse under?" The stable hand asked, pulling a piece of paper out from behind the desk.

"Clementa." She said before she could stop herself. Where had _that_ come from?

"That's Clementa with a C and two 'a's, Correct?" The stable hand asked, carefully penning down the name. "And What would you like to name your horse?"

This name she put a bit more thought to before answering. "Amencer" She finally decided.

A few minutes later, her new horse was registered, saddled, and waiting patiently next to the stable. He looked at her, but with a gentler eye. She stood for a moment in awe, then mounted quickly. She held the reins in her hands, then looked at the road that wound through the cliffs back to Satori mountain. "Let's ride!" She said excitedly, a new energy filling her. She spurred her horse to move. A bit more forcefully than she intended to.

Amencer Shot away, going from standstill to full gallop almost instantly. "Clementa" shrieked and held on for dear life as her faithful steed sped with all power as far away from the stable as he could. She bent low into the frame of the horse, squinting her eyes against the wind as her horse sped back up the hillside. The reins grew taught in her hands, rubbing against her gloves and nearly pulling her arms out of her sockets.

By the time Amencer slowed down, they had reached Sanidin Park Ruins at the top of the hill. Clementa gently tugged on the reins, finally pulling her horse to a stop. She slid out of the saddle, legs shaking as they hit solid earth. "whoa…" She moaned, leaning against Amencer for balance. "Let's not do that again."

Amencer merely nickered and shook out his mane. Clementa sighed and pulled the reins over his head. "Come on, let's get you some water."

She led him over to the fountain, then tucked the reins over the horn like the stable hand had shown her. Amencer bent his head and began to drink from the fountain. Clementa stretched her arms over her head as she watched the water, then looked up sharply. It had stopped raining.

She turned around. The cloud cover was breaking up, blown away to the west by a brisk eastern wind, sun streaks bursting through the dark rain. Hyrule field opened before her like a great canvas, green plains full of grass sparkling with rain in the sun, Lake Kolomo shimmering silently in the distance. Only the Malice of Ganon that swirled around the castle marred the vista that appeared before her. She leaned on the railing, breathless. For a long time, all she did was stand and stare at the view.

 _Khoga's going to have a fit if you put this in the report._ A gentle voice teased inside her. She brushed it away without another thought. The Yiga didn't care about nature, which was a shame. But then, those who supported the Malice of Ganon probably didn't expect to have much in the way of a summer home.

 _And what about you?_ The voice asked. _Do you follow Ganon and his cause?_

Clementa paused. She looked out at the landscape again, the gorgeous greens and blues of Hyrule field clashing with the dark purple and black of Ganon's Malice. Looking at it… It somehow made her sick to her stomach _. O-of Course I…_ She thought. But no matter how much she forced herself, she couldn't get the words out of her mouth _. Some Yiga assassin I am_. She looked upon the field with sadness. She tried to compartmentalize it, rationalize it, force the concept of serving Ganon into a tiny little corner of her role as a Yiga assassin. But no matter which way she turned it, spun it, or shaped it, there was no denying that the tendrils of Ganon's Malice clung to every aspect of the Yiga Clan. She slumped against the rail, defeated. She couldn't force herself to support Ganon, but she didn't want to abandon her friends in the Yiga Clan. Even though she knew in a heartbeat they would leave her if she was too weak. She wondered for a heartbeat if, perhaps, they already had.

There was a soft whinny and a bump in her back as Amencer snuck up behind her. She sighed and gently wrapped her arms under his neck. "At least I still have you, Amencer." She whispered. "Come on. We need to go."

She slung herself up into the saddle, picking up the reins and nudging her horse back to the trail. A flash of light in the distance caught her eye. Curious, she pulled her spyglass out from her bag and focused on Satori mountain.

There, in the distance, she could see the Hero. He had left his encampment after the rain had stopped, and was climbing over rocks to reach the path to Serenne Stable. The wolf was faithfully at his side, jumping from boulder to boulder with ease. Finally, they reached solid ground, and began the long walk to Serenne, side by side.

Clementa smiled and set down her spyglass, collapsing it and putting it back in her bag. Amencer turned his head to look at her, an encouraging and loving look in his eye.

Clementa smiled warmly, picking up the reins again. "Let's go. We've got a long journey ahead of us."

 _Perhaps this is what companionship is…_


	7. Red Skies Take Warning

**Welcome back, folks! Thank you so much for all the favorites and follows! I'm glad you all love the story.**

 **The next two chapters were originally one, but I split them up because it got REALLY long. After that... Well, we'll have hit the end of my buffer and things get a bit more interesting.**

 **For now, enjoy the next chapter!**

* * *

 **Depths of the Yiga**

 **Chapter 7**

Red Skies Take Warning

 _It was raining. She was standing in the middle of a thousand graves, each crumbling and covered in dying ivy. The sky overhead was pitch black, the ground underneath obscured with a thick fog that clung to every surface it could find. But what was worst of all was the silence. There was no wind, no call of birds or howl of distant wolves. Just silence. She opened her mouth to scream, but no sound came from her lips._

 _"_ _You really think you're special, don't you?" A voice said behind her. Clementa spun to see nothing, the voice turning back into a shadow. "Just because you're following the Legendary Hero you're better than the rest of us."_

No, it isn't like that! _She wanted to scream. But she was mute, forced to be silent._

 _"_ _You call yourself a Yiga." Another voice, female, whispered from behind a tombstone. "Just look at you. You don't eat Mighty Bananas, you barely fit in your uniform. You can't even convince yourself to submit to Ganon's power."_

Shut up! _She spun around again, but there was no one there. The whispers seem to come from all directions now, jeering and taunting from the endless nothingness._

 _"_ _You swore to leave the Sheikah behind, but you just can't let go of the past." Another voice said. Clementa spun again, this time seeing a Yiga foot soldier standing between two tombstones. His posture was straight, but he held his sickle as if he was prepared for a battle._

Er Shisi?

 _"_ _You kept the spyglass, and you mourned the loss of one of our greatest enemies" he growled. "You cannot truly be Yiga if you cling to such frivolous things."_

 _"_ _You do not keep to the Clan." Another voice said. Another foot soldier, another friend, stepped from the shadows behind her. "You wander off alone, abandoning that which you swore to keep."_

 _"_ _How can you claim to be a Yiga assassin if you cannot even kill a single man?" Another foot soldiers. Soon Clementa found herself surrounded. "surely, even the great Hero of Legend cannot escape the sickle of a proud Yiga Assassin?"_

 _"_ _You are worthless."_

 _"_ _You are weak without the Clan."_

 _"_ _You will never find worth outside the Clan."_

 _"_ _If you abandon your Clan, there will be nothing left for you but Death." Er Shisi said, pointing._

 _Clementa spun around, her heart freezing cold. In front of her was a tombstone and an open grave. A tombstone engraved with her name._

 _Her REAL name._

 _She stumbled backward, only to feel the cold point of a sickle in her back. Then a shove pushed her forward, into the tomb and falling into blackness, an echo of a scream the only thing to mark her fall._

With a scream she awoke, fumbling through her blanket to find solid ground. After a moment she relaxed, feeling the sun's warmth through the tent and the solid ground beneath her mat. She breathed a sigh of relief and relaxed, running her fingers through her hair. Her arms collapsed, pulling a strand of hair with it. She ran it through her fingers, wondering how her disguise could still shed hair and skin that wasn't there. She pushed the thought aside and stretched, Arms reaching up above her head. She could feel the echo of the Yiga uniform underneath her disguise, her brow furrowing. It had grown ever tighter over the weeks, to the point it was getting hard to move in it normally. If she ever did make it back to the Yiga base, she would have to get a new uniform.

She sighed and dropped her arms again. Her nightmare still haunted her. It had begun the night after she had claimed Amencer as her own, and came back every night in the week that had followed. She was desperate for one of her fellow warriors to tell her that she was being silly, ridiculous, that she would always have a place in the clan…

She shook her head. She hadn't seen another Yiga in over two weeks. If they were still out there, they were steadfastly ignoring her. She pushed off the blanket and began to pack her supplies. She nudged aside the flap of the tent as she emerged, pulling her pack with her. The sky was bright in the early morning, the clouds streaked with red and orange as the sun rose over Death Mountain. Amencer stood next to the tree she had pitched her tent under, looking up from his meal of grass as she pulled the tent down and folded it away. Her campfire from the night before was still smoldering. She kicked some dirt over the ashes as she packed. Leave no trace; it was the way of the ninja. Not to mention just plain sense when working with fire in a densely wooded forest.

It didn't take her long to break camp; despite her large pack, her supplies were light. She'd started to run low on fruit again as they had moved across the ridge behind Hyrule Castle, well off any road or beaten path. Any food was gained through hunting or trading, and she could only do so much without attracting the attention of the hero. She peered through the trees. The hero had spent the night at Woodland stable, while she had elected to camp out in the wild. Her nightmares made it difficult to sleep in company. She slid her pack on and easily climbed up into the saddle. "Come on, Amencer. Let's see if we can figure out where the hero is going today."

She had a pretty good guess. She'd renewed her monitoring of her hero over the last week, and noticed that he had an interest in ingredients for heat-resistant food and potions. There were only two places in Hyrule that would require such ingredients for survival, and they were camped in the shadow of the greatest one: Death Mountain. She'd been dutiful in stocking her own supplies, but upon looking upon the roaring tempest above the summit, she wasn't sure it would be enough.

She spurred her horse into motion and took to the nearest road. She'd written up another report for Khoga based on her findings; several of them, actually. But she'd yet to find another member of the clan to pass them on to. Part of her wondered if they would even need them anymore. But surely, they would tell her she could discontinue her reconnaissance if they didn't, right?

She passed the stable as she rode, sneaking a surreptitious glance as she went by. The Hero was talking to a Rito with rather magnificent plumage and, flummoxingly, an accordion. She'd seen him at a few other stables in Hyrule, although she knew little about him. Just that he was a wandering bard searching Hyrule for old songs. She wondered for a moment if there were any about the Yiga, or even the Sheikah.

 _I doubt it._ She thought as she rode on _. The Yiga aren't exactly favored in Hyrule's history. And the Sheikah… I don't even know. We certainly never heard any back in the village._

She sighed and spurred her horse onward. There was no sense in thinking about it now. Perhaps, someday when this had all blown over, she could return and find this wandering bard and ask him.

 _If Hyrule and everything in it isn't reduced to smoldering ash by Ganon._ The nasty voice inside her pointed out. She pointedly ignored it.

As she rode, she noticed a traveler standing by the road ahead of her. He seemed lost, looking around for a guidance post or, perhaps, a well-meaning traveler like him who would be more than happy to give directions. As she approached, she noticed something off. His movements were too exaggerated, too forced to be natural. He also rather blatantly ignored her approach, even though she was just as capable of giving aid as the next traveler to come along; who, now that she thought about it, would probably be the Hero.

 _Wait a moment, that's Jiu!_

She thought about stopping and confronting him on his rather poor and deliberate acting. But a rebellious thought, much like the one that had spurred her to tame a horse, bubbled up from within. Instead she remained silent and passed, tipping her head to him courteously as her horse navigated away from the strange man in the road. She struggled not to look back as she rode on, knowing the carnage that would ensue once the hero began his trek to Death Mountain. He had always been stubborn about accepting help anyway, and probably wouldn't appreciate a "clumsy girl like her" blowing his cover, as he had so callously said back when they were still in assassin training. Even though she'd been able to run circles around him during archery training when they were still little Sheikah children…

She shoved the thoughts away and rode on, whistling a little tune as she rode away from her soon-to-be-unfortunate comrade. He never even looked twice at her.

It was much later in the day when she arrived at the foot of Death Mountain; she had been waylaid by some lizalfos near Inogo Bridge that had scared away her horse and forced her to fight for her life. She'd chased them off after stealing one of their spears, but it had still taken most of the morning to track her horse down and calm him enough that she could ride again. She didn't want to admit it to herself, but she had taken far more delight in wielding a polearm again than any respectable Yiga should. It had taken far more persuasion to leave the spear behind than it had taken to calm her horse. It disturbed her just a bit.

Foothill Stable finally appeared over the ridge as she rode past the hot springs that Eldin Canyon was famous for. Death Mountain loomed in the distance, spewing smoke and ash into the air. Something moved on the mountain, obscured by waves of pure heat. Curious, she pulled her horse to a standstill and pulled out her spyglass. Her focus was soon leveled at the very summit of Death Mountain, and its rather metallic inhabitant.

 _So that's Vah Rudania_ … She thought as she watched the Divine Beast claw its way around the volcano. _The Hero is crazy if he thinks he's going to tame that thing without spontaneously combusting_. She lowered the spyglass and shook her head. Simply climbing Death Mountain was a feat; to tame Vah Rudania…

 _Hang on, where IS the hero?_ She thought _. I didn't see him pass me earlier, although admittedly my attention was focused elsewhere._ The spyglass came up again as she scoured the landscape for that all-too-familiar blue tunic. She spotted it, clear as day, walking up to the front of Foothill stable as if it had only been a short walk from this morning's rest.

 _What in the Sacred Realm?_ She thought. _How did he make it here before I did?_ She focused the spyglass, narrowing in on the unsuspecting hero. He was talking to one of the stable hands by the campfire, chatting away while cooking a fresh meal for the road. After he finished cooking, he waved and went on his way further up the mountain _. Don't' tell me he's planning on going all the way to Goron City tonight…_

She spurred her horse back into movement. If he wasn't going to be at the stable, it was the perfect time to slip in and do some sneaking of her own. Or at least stable her horse. She had a feeling that Amencer wasn't going to enjoy the heat of Death Mountain any more than she would. Half an hour later she was handing the reins over to one of the stable hands and stretching her legs. She wandered around one of the stables, idly thinking about renting one of the beds for the night. A poster on the wall caught her eye. It was a potion, the color of cold embers with ingredients listed underneath.

 _What's this? Fireproof potions?_ She thought, reading the poster with interest _. So, simple cooling ingredients won't be enough to handle the heat… I wonder if the Hero knows this._

 _If he doesn't he's going to be coming back very soon once he finds out. So much for sleeping in a bed tonight. But I can use the time out away from the stable to try and find some of these ingredients for myself. Let's see…. It just needs a fireproof lizard and a monster part. I've got those lizalfos horns from this morning. Now where can I find some fireproof lizards?_

"Looking to protect yourself on Death Mountain?" A voice behind her asked. Clementa turned to see on one of the stable hands. "Fireproof potions are a must if you plan to go any further than marker #2 on the trail."

"I had a feeling." Clementa replied "Although I'd hoped some chilled chicken would suffice."

"Not against lava, I'm afraid." The stable hand said with a shake of her head. "Thankfully they're easy to make, if you know where to find the ingredients."

"I had wanted to ask about that. Where is a good place to find fireproof lizards?" Clementa asked.

"The lizards? Oh, those are easy." The stable hand said with a smile. "There's always a ton wandering around down by the hot springs. Good for the soul, those. Now, most people struggle with the monster parts."

"I've already got some."

"Really?"

"Yeah, I about got bowled over by a couple of lizalfos on my way here. Glad to know it wasn't for nothing." Clementa replied with an equal smile. "So, the hot springs are…?"

"Just down the trail and to the left. You can't miss 'em." The stable hand replied. "You need to creep up on the little buggers or they'll scurry away before you can say "volcano.'"

"Got it. Thank you for the help!"

"Our pleasure. Let us know if there's anything we can help you with." The stable hand said. Clementa waved and left the stable, following the trail towards Death Mountain and these rumored hot springs.

 _When was the last time I had a normal conversation like that?_ Clementa thought as she walked, hefting her pack a bit higher on her back _. Not counting learning to saddle a horse at the last stable, it was… gee, I don't even remember anymore._

She had just passed the first marker when she spotted someone coming down the trail from ahead. At first, she didn't think anything of it, focusing instead on the hot springs, scanning the water and the rocks for the fireproof lizards. A second glance had her scrambling to get out of sight of the one person who must NEVER see her.

She managed to duck behind a rock as the Hero rounded a corner. She peered cautiously around it as he passed. Thankfully, his focus appeared to be more centered on returning to the stable than his environment. She could tell from the scorch marks on his tunic and the singed hair that his first expedition up the mountain hadn't gone as planned. She even spotted a burn mark that looked awfully like the ones the guardians inflicted. There wasn't a live guardian waiting ahead, was there?

She leaned around the rock a bit more, watching him trudge down the road back towards the stable. He looked frustrated. And… normal. As someone who had spent her days living around one important figure in the clan or another, she was used to them acting in a manner, be it the wise, smooth ways of her grandmother or the bumbling, lazy ways of master Khoga. But the hero… in that moment, he seemed like every other tired adventurer or soldier, who wanted nothing more than a night's rest, a good meal, and a chance to forget about an altogether terrible day.

 _Boy, does that sound familiar._ She thought to herself. She waited until the hero was out of sight to fully pull away from the boulder she was hiding behind. _Maybe he does have a weakness or two after all._

She squinted into the sky. The sun was beginning to set; she needed to find those lizards before dark if she wanted to have any chance of keeping up with the Hero in the morning. She hurried to the nearest hot spring, looking around wildly. She finally spotted one, basking on a rock without a care in the world. Remembering the advice of the stable hand, she crept up on it slowly, unconsciously stepping in the ways her mentors long ago had taught her. Silently, she snuck up on the unsuspecting reptile, catching it in a single sweep of her hand. She held it up for inspection, the black and red lizard, wiggling in her grip.

"Well, there's one." She said. "How many am I going to need?"

She flexed her metal arithmetic skills. Each potion only lasted for a set amount of time, and she had three lizard horns total, plus a couple of bokoblin horns she'd snatched up after one of the hero's skirmishes _. That should be enough for five potions_. She thought. _But is that going to be enough to get me up the mountain? And back, preferably without catching on fire?_

 _Let's catch a few more lizards and see what it adds up to._


	8. Confrontation

**And with this chapter we reach the end of my buffer. I will be travelling for a few days, so it may take some time for the next chapter to appear. Just be patient. I'm not done with this story yet.**

* * *

 **Depths of the Yiga**

 **Chapter 8**

 _Confrontation_

It didn't take long, although the sun had set by the time she had caught the fourth lizard. She moved to shove it in the bag with the others and turned around. She'd managed to work her way all the way to the far end of Eldin canyon. It was going to be a long walk back to the stable if she wanted to stay there tonight. _Guess I'm camping out in the open again…_

A whisper on the wind caught her ear. She turned and followed the noise down the hill, towards a spring that was somewhat more isolated from the rest. She spotted two bright red figures sitting in one of the springs talking. Complaining would have been a better word, but pot-tay-to po-tah-to. Looking behind her to make sure no one had followed, she popped from her traveler's disguise to her normal Yiga uniform and approached.

"I mean, come on!" One of the foot soldiers could be heard saying. "What kind of warrior uses a LEAF as a weapon? A LEAF. They don't even do any damage!"

"Didn't stop him from beating you within an inch of your life." The other said, sinking a bit further into the spring.

"So? If I'd known that he was armed with such a stupid weapon I would have been able to kill him. Shi Liu's reports aren't telling us a-"

"I believe I DID mention the hero's latest equipment set in my last report, Jiu." She said, appearing out of the shadows next to the spring. "It's not my fault if you don't read them. He's had that leaf for a good month."

"Wh _-Gah_! Shi Liu! Where did you come from?" Jiu sputtered, flailing about in the water. "You're supposed to be following the Hero!"

"And I still am." She replied. "He's up at Foothill stable licking his wounds after a rather unsuccessful run at Death Mountain this afternoon."

"So why aren't you over there?" Jiu asked sourly

"Because He's not going anywhere else tonight, and I'm not going to get too close and alert him to my presence." She replied coolly. "Besides, I need the same fireproof potions that he will in order to follow him up the mountain." She held up the last fireproof lizard she had caught. "And these don't exactly live in the stable."

"What are those things?" The third Yiga asked.

"Fireproof lizards. They only live around Death Mountain." She explained. "They're the main ingredient of fireproof potions. I just hope I've caught enough to get me up Death Mountain and back without spontaneously combusting."

"Why on earth would you do that?" Jiu asked.

"Do what? Spontaneously combust?"

"No, put effort into tracking the Hero." Jiu replied lazily. "What could he possibly do on Death Mountain, aside from die, that could be of any detriment to our cause?"

"I don't know if you've missed the giant Divine Beast that's been crawling around the lip of the volcano," She replied dryly, pointing at the volcano above them. Vah Rudania was visible, its thick metal claws sinking into the earth as it climbed. "But the only reason Ganon hasn't been slain by the Hero already is because he still retains control over the Divine Beasts. He's already lost one to The Hero. I could bet you five mighty Banana bunches that the Hero is on his way up Death Mountain to reclaim another. And he gets more powerful with each one he reclaims. It's in our best interest to make sure that doesn't happen, even if that does mean trekking up an active volcano. Unless," She explained, crossing her arms. "You have a better method of attack?"

"Of course I do!" Jiu boasted, leaning back in the water. "And I barely need to lift a finger to lure this 'legendary hero' to his doom!"

"Care to share it with us?

"I suppose I can share my secret, legendary technique with a poor soul such as yourself." Jiu sighed. She was thankful for a moment that the mask hid her expression. Disbelief was only one emotion she felt. "I find a nice place alongside the road, well away from any village or stable. Then I act like a poor, lost traveler looking for Gerudo. Eventually, the hero comes along, and so sympathetic to my plight, will stop to assist me. Then, when he's at his most vulnerable, I reveal myself and attack, slaying him in his surprise!"

She had to admit, she was speechless. But only for a moment. "That's the basic technique they taught us. From the manual."

"Yes, but it doesn't require my superb acting skills!" Jiu boasted. "Nor such a cunning way of ensnaring the hero using his own need to help others."

"Right. I can't help but notice that your master plan relies on asking an amnesiac for directions." She said flatly. "And was far from successful."

"Hey! I managed to get the hero in my trap." Jiu retorted.

"But you weren't able to kill him." She replied. "Far from it, I doubt you laid a single blow on him."

"Well, neither have you! You've been following him for months and haven't done a single thing to even inconvenience him."

"Unlike you, Jiu, I know when to find the right time to strike." She replied coldly. The third Yiga shivered even in the heat of the hot spring. "Who knows, I may push him into lava tomorrow if he's dumb enough to get close. But I don't spend my days lazing around waiting to hero to just fall into my arms. I watch, observe, and I wait. And in the meantime I share what I find with all of you so you have a chance of survival." She pulled out the pack of scrolls and tossed it at Jiu, who fumbled to keep it out of the water. "There's my reports for the last two weeks. He's learned to summon spirit companions from beyond, so you're lucky he didn't call one to defeat you. He's also picked up a few nasty weapons from the remains of the soldier's camp further north. Considering that, he was going easy on you with that leaf. Perhaps he was taking pity on you." She turned and began walking away. "And one more thing? Your acting is terrible. I'm amazed the hero didn't think you were a circus clown."

And she walked away. The voices had faded behind her before she stopped. She looked down and realized that the lizard's eyes were popping out of its skull because she was squeezing so hard. She sighed and relaxed, the lizard going limp in her hand. She had forgotten in all her time away how much Jiu had gotten under her skin. But to honestly think that the way to slay the Hero was to literally wait and hope he bumps into you… He wasn't going to fall for it forever.

 _For all the Yiga promised us, critical thinking skills wasn't among them._ She thought. _Yet another failing of a supposedly prestigious clan…_

"Shi Liu." a voice said behind her. She turned to see the third Yiga soldier standing there, somewhat awkwardly. "I can't believe you told off Jiu like that. Normally he'd punch down anyone that mouthed off to him like that."

"I was getting tired of his posturing." She replied.

"You seemed… different. More confident." He said. "It's really… strange."

"You think so? I hadn't noticed any change."

"Yeah. I've never seen any of the other foot soldiers stand up to him like that."

Foot soldiers. Not friends. Not family. "He had a pride bubble that needed to be popped. Hopefully his encounter with the Hero humbled him just a bit." She said, looking at the stable in the distance. She almost wanted to go inside at the risk of encountering the Hero, just to get away from her fellow Yiga.

"Listen, Shi..."

"What?" She asked.

"…Watch your back. Khoga's not happy about all the missed opportunities to kill the Hero you've passed up on during your recon." He said nervously.

"But I've provided invaluable information to the clan through my recon." She replied, confused.

"He doesn't see it that way." The Yiga replied. "To him, any missed chance to kill the hero is an affront to the clan, and to Ganon."

"If he really thinks that way, then he should be mad at the entire clan. There's been far more opportunities missed by the other members because of their…laid-back approach to assassination." She pointed out.

"Yeah, but that's adherence to our traditions. It's the way we've always done it." The Yiga pointed out.

"And look how far it's gotten us." She retorted. "The Hero is stronger than ever and every attempt made by our assassins failed because, due to 'tradition' we have to WAIT FOR HIM to walk up to us. What kind of assassination technique is that?"

"It's the one we've always used." The Yiga said defensively. "It's tradition."

"That "Tradition' is keeping us from doing the one thing that we SWORE to do. I'm beginning to think the Yiga are no better than the Sheikah." She said, frustrated.

"Watch your words, Shi Liu." The Yiga warned. "Khoga and the Blademasters don't take treason lightly."

"What are they going to do? Kill me? They've been doing an excellent job with the Hero of Legend." She replied spitefully.

"They just might. How do you think they responded when The Traitor betrayed us for the Sheikah?"

She glared, then paled as his words hit home. "You don't mean…"

"How did you think the traitor's wife died?" The Yiga asked, turning away. "Watch your back. You might find a sickle buried in it before too long."

And he vanished in a puff of light and cloud of talismans.

For a moment all she saw was red. Then she unleashed a yell of anger and flung the lizard she was holding against the nearest rock. As soon as claws touched stone the lizard scrambled away, desperate to escape the enraged assassin. It shouldn't have surprised her in the least that Clementa-the REAL Clementa-had been killed by the Yiga. But it still hurt to find out. She wondered if Er Shisi had known when she mentioned it to him before.

She stayed mad for a long time. The sun had long since set by the time she finally calmed down, and she sunk into one of the hot springs, despondent.

It wasn't the Yiga's callousness towards death that concerned her. Or their lackluster attempts to carry out their primary mission. It wasn't even their fanatical devotion.

No. What scared her most was not recognizing the third Yiga. The ones that were supposed to be her closest friends.


	9. Home

**Depths of the Yiga**

 **Chapter 9**

 _Home_

Clementa leaned back in the grass and looked up into the endless blue sky. Only a few small, puffy clouds kept her from the feeling that the world was inverting and she would fall into the blue void that stretched out before her. She could hear Amencer just off to her left, moseying around the field she was laying in. It was a warm, sunny day, and she didn't feel like doing anything at all.

Unfortunately, duty called, whether it was appreciated or not. She sighed and sat up, brushing the grass from her legs and looking across the field. The Hero's stay at Death Mountain had been short. But also, just as she predicted, successful. For him, anyway. Vah Rudania was now freed from Ganon's control and, just like Vah Ruta, was sat in perfect view of Hyrule castle, ready and waiting to strike. When she had come back down the mountain only slightly smoking, the other Yiga were nowhere to be seen.

Interesting. She had thought as she shook the ash from her sleeve. I wonder what chased them off? Are the scared of the Hero?

Or are they scared of Me?

Clementa chased the thoughts away as she rose to her feet. What was done, was done. So the Hero had defeated two incarnations of Ganon's malice and was well on his way to defeating the other two. There was still a chance to defeat him. She just had to find it. And it might just be easier than I anticipated.

Hateno Village. She could see it from her resting place in the field. It was one of the few civilized places left in the ruins of the once great Hyrule. Even at this distance she could hear children laughing and playing and the farmers going about their work. And all the way at the top of the hill was A-Purah's Laboratory. She tried not to seem suspicious as she rounded up her horse and turned back down the hill. She was wearing her disguise, and Purah never spent very much time at her telescope; she should be okay.

She didn't have to go far; the Hero was just outside the village, at a rather peculiar little house that he had claimed as his own sometime before. On the surface, it didn't look like much. Simple cream walls, wooden roof, a small shed in the back. It did have a nice little pond under a tree. But it was bare and unfurnished; there wasn't even a door-

Wait. She pulled up her spyglass and peered down the hill. She couldn't see the front of the house from here, but she could see the construction workers as they talked with the Hero. And they had a door. He'd bought a door for his house. She set down the spyglass and shook her head. There really was no end to the mysteries of the Hero.

She watched from her perch in a nearby tree all afternoon as the Hero dallied around the house, talking to the construction workers as they finished the door and eased it into its frame. Then they waved and walked back towards the village, leaving the Hero alone at the little house by the pond. The hero stretched, then lay down under the tree with an apple, munching happily and enjoying the sunshine. Clementa sat back and took in the scene with a new eye. Yes, when the Hero had first bought the house it was worn down, overgrown with weeds and filled with dust. But now the dust was swept away, the house painted with a fresh coat of paint, and the weeds had turned into a beautiful field of flowers. Somehow, between raiding Divine Beasts, trekking across Hyrule and destroying every Yiga assassin he came across, the Hero had managed to turn this tiny shack into a decent home.

Now why would he do that? She thought as she leaned back in the tree she had climbed into a fair distance away. Why would he sink so much money into a home he's never in?

Well, it's not like he's going to be fighting Ganon forever. A voice said inside her. On the-very-small chance that he's not killed by Ganon, the Hero's going to need a place to come home to.

A place to come home to... Clementa sighed. The Hero had carved out this sanctuary for himself, making a place where none had been before. Even if he had remembered his home before the return of Ganon, it was likely nothing but ash now. So he'd gone and found a new place to call home-a little place with a garden and his own bed and a window to watch the sun set.

Is that all it takes for him to be satisfied? She wondered. The Hero of Legend could live in a mansion or castle or some great fortress with its own army to command. Instead he picks a little cottage out of the way, all by himself.

All by himself… The perfect ambush point. Sneak in when he's asleep, kill him and begone before anyone else in the village knows. There's even a convenient window to get away. She thought. A chill ran down her spine. Then she remembered her conversation with Jiu at the hot springs.

Even if I tell the Clan about the house, they won't act. At least the younger ones won't. She thought. And the Blade masters are slow to act. By the time they would get here the Hero would be long gone.

Her mind wandered back to the Yiga hideout, hidden in a canyon in Gerudo Desert. It was always dark, lit by torchlight. The first thing you saw when you walked in the door was the prison cell for those who stumbled on the hideout…or the unfortunate foot soldier who disobeyed the orders of the Clan. The rest was nothing more than a few rooms filled with boxes and bananas. There was barely even a kitchen to cook meals-everyone just ate mighty bananas. There was no privacy in the Yiga clan; everyone ate together, slept together, fought together. But there was no sunshine, no flowers or trees. Just the darkness and the ever-watching Eye of the Yiga.

Clementa shuddered. Oh, so long ago she had longed to return to the hideout and the comfort of her comrades, but now…Now it scared her. For some reason, the dark enclosed spaces of the Hideout were no longer appealing to her. It didn't seem like…home. There was nothing for her there, just bananas she no longer ate and fellow soldiers who were blind to anything outside the mask.

I won't tell them about the House. She decided. They wouldn't understand the significance of it to the Hero, or its potential as an ambush site. To them it's just another dirty shed that pales in significance to the Great Yiga Hideout.

Why, that's almost treason. The voice insider whispered. You are a very rebellious Yiga Assassin.

I'm not sure I could call myself an Assassin anymore. She thought. I have never killed anyone. And I don't think I could.

"Watch Your back, Shi Liu. You may find a sickle buried in it before too long."

Clementa shuddered at the memory. She needed to find some way to prove to the Clan that she still had worth, even if she was worthless as a killer. But she was quickly learning that the Clan was very narrow-minded; almost more so than the Sheikah. It feels like I've traded one evil for another.

She looked down at the Hero again, dozing beneath the tree by the pond. She knew that he was shackled by the same horrific legacy that had nearly killed him a century before, and the threat of Ganon's imminent return loomed over all Hyrule. But in that moment, under the tree in the sunshine and the warm breeze he looked…content.

A wild thought struck her, more brazen than the horse taming or anything else she had done. I could run away. She thought for an instant. I could leave and find some little village far away and build my own little cottage and just leave this all behind. Maybe a place by the sea...

Even as the thought formed in her mind it withered and crumbled away. The Clan would never leave me alone. They still hound Dorian long after his defection. But I wouldn't even be useful if I left. They would hunt me down and kill me and leave it at that. As long as the Clan lives I can never be free.

She looked across the fields and cliffs of Necluda as the sun began to go down. She could at least stay in a bed tonight; since the Hero had a house of his own she could go and stay at the inn. It would be a nice change from the camping out. As she climbed down the tree and mounted her horse, she looked across the wide world and wondered if there would ever be a place that she could truly call Home.

She adjusted her balance in the saddle as she road down the cliff. The Hero, not too far ahead of her, was on a horse of his own headed west. She idly wondered where he would head next. If he was trying to free another Divine Beast, he had two choices; Hebra mountain to the north, or Gerudo Desert to the west.

He's going to need a lot of cold protection if he wants to go North. She thought. And you can find lots of warming ingredients in Gerudo desert, if you know where to look…

She heard a shout up ahead. She stood up in the saddle and pulled the spyglass from her pouch as she narrowed in on the noise. The Hero had stumbled upon a Yiga assassin waiting not too far from the place where she had first encountered the Hero. She watched with a wince as the Hero sent the Assassin running with a single swipe. She noticed the look of irritation on his face as he sat back down in the saddle and rode on, not even looking back.

His patience is running out. She observed. Sooner or later he's going to collide head-on with the Yiga… And I don't think it's going to be the Yiga who come out on top.


	10. Merciful Hand

**Depths of the Yiga**

 **Chapter 10**

 _Merciful Hand_

The forest was quiet at night. She was curled up in a tree as she watched the stars move through the branches, listening to the hoot of an owl nearby and the wind rustling the leaves. It was peaceful, a feeling she hadn't been accustomed to in a while. She closed her eyes, listened to the sounds of the forest, and tried to force the mental image of a Yiga Footsoldiers sent flying by a single blow out of her mind.

 _He could have killed them_. She thought. _I mean, Footsoldiers aren't exactly the hardiest fighters around… but if any more force had been put into that blow the Yiga would be short one soldier. Why did he spare him? We've been trying to kill him for months and he still shows the assassins mercy._

Clementa watched the heavens with sadness. A warrior like the Hero didn't get to live if he did, Sheikah interference or no, by being merciful. _He's had to have killed someone before._ She thought. _It's inconceivable to have fought so long yet shed no blood…_

A flash of red caught her eye. She peered through the branches to see a Blood Moon rising. Clementa shivered at the sight of it. The other Yiga loved it, claiming it to be a physical manifestation of Ganon's power. But for some reason she had always loathed the sight of that ugly red corrupting the heavens with its light.

She sighed and stretched, rolling out of the branches with ease and landing gently on the forest floor. They were back outside Kakariko village. She'd left Amencer stabled at Dueling Cliffs stable, knowing there was no other way in and out of the village. At least, not without climbing several cliffs. She didn't know what brought the hero here this time, but she still stayed well outside the village bounds. Even if the warm light of the lanterns and the flowing sounds of the waterfalls sounded more inviting than before. She wondered, for a moment, if the village would be willing to accept her back just as they had accepted Dorian…

 _But then there would be two people in the village under the Yiga's thumb._ She thought sadly. _They don't let go of their soldiers that easily…_

"Shi Liu."

She jumped, practically flying out of her disguise. She turned around to see a Blademaster standing behind her in the shadows. "Why do you cling to that pathetic disguise?" The Blademaster asked.

"My apologies." She said, turning back to her Yiga uniform in a puff of smoke. "I did not wish to incur the wrath of the Sheikah by being so bold close to the village border."

"Their wrath?" The Blademaster said with a dry laugh. "The Sheikah are like an elderly wolf, their sharp teeth nothing but weak gums."

"As you say, sir." She replied. It took all her strength not to tremble in fear. While the rest of the Footsoldiers cowered at the feet of Khoga, in truth it was the Blademasters that she truly feared. They who had been part of the clan since birth, and were devout in every facet of Yiga law. "What brings you to Necluda?"

"Some matters to attend to regarding the actions of the Hero…And you." The Blademaster said slowly. The windcleaver he carried glinted menacingly in the light of the Blood Moon.

"Regarding me, sir?" She asked, fighting to keep the fear out of her voice.

"Yes. Khoga recognizes that your mission tracking the hero and monitoring his actions is…commendable." The Blademaster said. A chill went down her spine. She had started her reconnaissance of the Hero of her own action instead of following orders, and she'd known in the pit of her stomach that it would not be looked upon kindly by the Blademasters. "However, that ends now. Khoga has assigned you a new mission, one that is to be carried out at once."

She wanted to object. Oh, how she did. But she knew that she had long run out of excuses. "Yes sir." She said. Her voice was level, neutral, hiding the turmoil that hid beneath the surface. "What is my new mission?"

"You may already be aware that we have a spy amongst the Sheikah." The Blademaster said.

"I was unaware." She said, glad that the mask hid the surprise on her face. A defector, that she knew. But a spy…?

"We have traded the information regarding the Hero that he provides us in exchange for his family's safety." The Blademaster continued. "However, our agreement will soon come to an end. We've coerced him into stealing a precious Sheikah artifact for us. I will be meeting him tonight to retrieve the artifact. You will be infiltrating his home and killing his progeny. Such is the price for betraying the Yiga."

 _No._ The pit of her stomach froze. She'd already had a feeling as to who the spy would be, but… "His usefulness has come to an end?"

"Indeed. Between him and your reconnaissance, we have everything we need to know about the Hero. He will fall before the might of the Yiga soon enough."

 _Oh, I sincerely doubt that_. She thought privately _. If you would listen to the song of your Footsoldiers, you would be hearing a different tune entirely._

"And what of the spy?" She asked, although she had a feeling she already knew the answer.

"If the Sheikah are lucky, they will find his body in the morning." The Blademaster told her. "The price of betrayal is death. That is the Way of the Yiga. Any more questions?"

"Only one." She said, fighting the rising terror. "What interest of the Yiga have in this Sheikah artifact?"

"The artifact benefits us none." The Blademaster replied. "But keeping it out of the hands of the Hero is essential. We have also stolen the Thunder helm from the Gerudo in this same line of interest. It would be the only thing that could protect him from the wrath of Vah Naboris."

 _Well now you've done it_. She thought. She knew the Helm going missing would not only stir the anger of the Gerudo, but also the Hero when the time came to free Vah Naboris. _All you've done is invite the Hero to break down the front door._

"Is something wrong?" The Blademaster asked. He must have noticed her discomfort.

"No, sir." She said, shaking the lingering thoughts. "Any standing orders after the mission is complete?"

"Return to the Yiga Hideout." The Blademaster replied. "Master Khoga would like to have an in-depth discussion regarding your actions during your reconnaissance."

She wasn't sure which scared her more; the Hero or returning to face her fellow Yiga.

"Now go." The Blademaster said, tossing a Mighty Banana at her. "Strike when the Blood Moon reaches its peak. May the Sheikah tremble in fear of the Yiga."

"Yes Sir." She said, and vanished into the night before the Blademaster could say anything more. She made all speed towards Kakariko village, hoping the movement would belay the trembling in her hands. She looked to the sky as the Blood Moon continued to climb. It had been appearing more frequently as the Hero continued his trek across Hyrule and Ganon reclaimed his strength. The battle would be reaching its peak soon. Something would have to give.

She reached the peak of the hill and looked down upon the village. Never had the lanterns appeared so inviting. She could see the last of the Sheikah returning to their homes, watching the sky warily as they closed the doors behind them. Movement from the porch of the Matriarch's house caught her eye. Carefully, she pulled out her spyglass and focused it. It was Paya.

She was standing, watching the village sadly. She could see the mark of the Sheikah tattooed on her face. She hadn't had that when the rest of her peers had left the village four years ago. _She must have donned that after we left._ She thought to herself _. Funny… We all left the village in search of strength, but I think Paya was the strongest of us all. Not just anyone can be so devout after being abandoned by almost everyone._

She collapsed the spyglass and put it away, then crept carefully down the hill. Dorian's house sat at the bottom, the windows dark. She ducked behind the Shine that had long watched over the village as Dorian himself climbed the hill towards the forest where the Blademaster waited. It took all her restraint not to reach out and warn Dorian of the impending doom before him. If he reacted, he would be slain all the faster. But she hated the feeling of helplessness that invaded her as she watched the proud soldier walk toward his death. She didn't know why she cared so much- He was a traitor, after all-but she didn't want to see him die.

Or the children that were supposed to fall under her blade.

She took a step away from the shrine, then vanished back under its shadow as another shape climbed the hill. It was hard to see in the darkness, but that blond hair was impossible to mistake after watching it for months. She watched as the Hero climbed the slope after Dorian. His subtlety left something to be desired, but he managed to follow the Sheikah without attracting too much attention.

 _Does he know about Dorian?_ She wondered as she watched him pass. _I can't think of any other reason he would be sneaking up the hill in the dead of night_. She didn't want to admit it, but she felt relieved. _Dorian may stand a chance after all._

 _Stop that_. She told herself. _You're supposed to be a Yiga assassin. You're not supposed to care about your enemies_. She pulled the Mighty Banana from her pouch and peeled it, distractedly taking a bite to calm her nerves and focus her mind. She immediately spat it back out, resisting the urge to vomit. It had tasted like poison in her mouth. She squinted and inspected it in the light of the Blood Moon. It looked normal, at least at first. It felt a bit softer than the ones she had found in the Faron region. Then a wisp of purple appeared, winding its way around the banana before disappearing back inside. She dropped the banana in shock and disgust _. Of course, the Yiga's Bananas would be laced with Ganon's Malice._ She thought. _How else do you keep a bunch of rebel teenagers in line?_ She gingerly picked up the banana and pitched it as far away from the village as she could. No one needed that in their life, and she Didn't need the strength the Mighty Banana gave her anyway. She stepped away from the shadows again and slid down the hill to Dorian's house. He'd left a window open carelessly. She slipped in easily, leaving it open behind her for an easy escape.

The house was silent. The hearth sat empty, the fire nothing more than embers. She could smell the scent of honey and apples in the air-Clementa's favorite dessert. She shook her head to focus and pulled the Sickle from its holster as she quietly climbed the stairs to the upper floor where she knew the family slept.

The children were by the window, the Blood Moon casting a red tint across the floor. She crept forward, the handle of the blade growing slick with sweat in her hand _. It's not hard._ She lied to herself _. Just two quick swings, they won't feel anything, and the Yiga will welcome you back with open arms…_

 _Will they?_ That pesky, persistent voice asked in the back of her mind _. Do you really think they will accept you as a Yiga after everything you've done? After what you have become?_

She froze, the blade trembling in her hand. She didn't talk like a Yiga, didn't wait by the roadside for her prey to walk by, didn't eat Mighty Bananas anymore. Ganon's Malice repulsed her and the thought of sinking her blade into someone else's flesh… She wanted to drop it and run away, far away.

 _Do you think the Yiga will really let you be?_ Another voice asked in her mind. _You know they won't. Kill them and they will welcome you back, or at least tolerate you. You can still be useful to them as a spy._

 _Dorian thought that too_. The first voice said _. And he's about to be killed. There's no point in trying to remain loyal to the Yiga. You don't think like them anymore. You're independent, resourceful, capable of critical thinking, likely a better fighter than most of the Footsoldiers at this point._

 _There are tons of Footsoldiers and assassins canvasing Hyrule to find the Hero_. The second voice said. W _hat makes you any different from them?_

 _You acted where they all stand and wait. You fight while they hide in the stables and villages. You Think where they wait for orders. And when something is wrong you don't shrug it off. Face, it, you Aren't a Yiga anymore._

 _Yes, you are_. The second voice said. _Once a Yiga, always a Yiga. You can't escape the Clan, don't fight it._

 _Fight it._ The first voice said _. Fight it and keep fighting. Are you really going to be happy serving the Yiga for the rest of your life?_

 _You won't have a rest of your life if you abandon the Yiga_. The second voice pointed out.

 _ENOUGH_. She told herself, shaking the voices out of her head. She crept forward, the sickle rising in the light of the blood moon. She looked down onto the faces of the two innocent, sleeping daughters of Dorian. Their gentle snores as they slept peacefully.

The little Sheikah doll, lovingly clutched by one of them, that She had made as a gift upon the birth of Koko.

 _I can't do it._

The sickle fell.

And was caught a second before it hit the floor and woke the little girls. A flurry of emotions flooded her as she sunk to her knees. Relief, fear, anger, despair… She understood in that Instant why the Hero never killed, even if it meant less people on his back and more security at night. In that instant, she knew that to kill was to take something innocent and beautiful and good and destroy it irrevocably with no remorse or recompense. She knew why the Yiga, heartless and cruel, hid behind their masks and false names and refused to give names to their targets, only labels to prevent familiarity and attachment. Even their own kind they labeled and categorized and hid behind masks of equal make and design anonymous to everyone but themselves.

The Yiga were killers. Killers of others and killers of themselves, turning what would have been a powerful band of individually skilled Sheikah warriors into weak Yiga Footsoldiers who could not be told from one another. The destroyers of the individual who themselves served the greatest destroyer of all, who left nothing in its wake but ash and ruin.

And she couldn't do it. To kill the two precious children of her mentor was not only to take two lives but also kill whatever burgeoning individuality she had developed over the months she had followed the Hero across Hyrule. Kill them and she became nothing more than another hand holding a sickle, a mask with no face, no name, no identity.

She looked up, Breath ragged. The Blood moon had passed, the silver light of the heavenly orb returned to its normal radiance. The girls slept soundly, unaware of the danger that had hung above their heads. She picked up the sickle and ran, fleeing silently down the stairs and out the window up the hill past the shrine and up the cliff that stood over the village. Only when she reached the top, standing in the light of the moon, did she stop and look back.

She could see two figures walking away from the forest, their voices inaudible but talking nonetheless. She breathed a faint sigh of relief. Dorian was safe. The she looked to the forest. If Dorian was alive, then it meant the Blademaster was either extremely wounded or dead. And she didn't dare go back into those shadows to find out. Instead she turned, practically flinging herself off the cliff as she climbed down, away from the village and fleeing north, far away from Sheikah and Yiga and the Blasted Hero who had brought all of this down upon her head.

She did the only thing she had ever been good at doing when danger pressed.

She ran.


	11. Lost

**Author's note: Welcome back! I was asked by one of my readers why Clementa doesn't team up with Link to defeat the Yiga. The answer is simple; She's not ready yet. She will meet the Hero, but that day is a long way off. In terms of story structure, He's too much of a powerhouse. If he's fully introduced into the story my heroine won't have much conflict to work with. And that gets boring. And ultimately, this is Clementa's story, not Link's. He's the catalyst to her adventure, but he doesn't directly influence her actions until later.**

* * *

 **Depths of the Yiga**

 **Chapter 11**

 _Lost_

She'd been running for days. Thoughts of the Yiga, the Sheikah, and the Hero tumbled endlessly in her head as she fled to the north, far away from Kakariko, Gerudo Desert, and anything that would remind her of the duties she had shirked not just once, but twice. Off the roads, through woods and past monsters that had barely the chance to realize her presence before she was gone. She was fleet, thoughtless and ever-moving like the wind.

Finally, though, her strength gave out and she was forced to rest. She slowed, then stumbled over a root and crashed into the cold earth. She lay there for a long time, her limbs crying out in agony as her lungs struggled for air. She weakly pushed herself onto her back, letting herself sink into the earth in defeat. She didn't know what happened in Kakariko after she ran away, And, to be frank, now she didn't really care.

Hours later, she forced herself into a sitting position, taking stock of her surroundings. She'd run without direction or care, only staying in the woods that offered her protection from the eyes of others. This forest, however, was unlike any other forest she had seen before. The trees were gnarled and bare, and a disturbing mist clung to every root and rock. It would be all too easy to wander and become lost forever in the fog. She checked her supplies. She'd left her tent and most of her supplies in Amencer's saddle bags. All that remained were a few pieces of fruit and mushrooms-she'd been planning on hunting outside the village while the Hero conducted his business. She had a feeling she wouldn't find any game in here.

She stood up, her legs shaking as she braced herself against the trunk of a tree. The Yiga wouldn't let this latest act of treason stand-They would find out that the children of Dorian lived soon enough. She needed to keep moving. Finally, her body stopped trembling and she looked around. There was no indication as to where the edge of the forest. It didn't bother her too much; she only had to go back the way she ran in. She'd be out soon.

She started walking.

The mists seem to suffocate her, stretching its tendrils to cling to anything it could reach. The trees, nothing more than dead skeletons of what had once been a proud forest, seem to reach out and snag her uniform, grab at her mask. The holes in the trees seem to contort themselves in to faces, taunting and jeering as she lurched her way through dead thickets and more brittle branches. And above it all was the sound of silence, no wind to move the fog or the song of birds to fill the air with the sounds of life. Just the faintest sound of wooden chimes clattering on each other in the distance.

 _I should have reached the edge of the forest by now._

She kept walking.

There was a torch, embers blowing in a breeze that didn't reach the fog. She stumbled toward it gladly, the light wonderful to her eyes. She reached it and looked around, trying to get her bearings. A single torch in the middle of a dark and barren forest. It wasn't much, but it was something. She turned her back to the torch and started walking in a new direction, hoping it would take her to the edge of the forest.

It grew dark. Not that she could tell in the fog; it seemed endless. The trees continued to laugh at her and the mist continued to pull at her shoes as she walked. But she, intuitively, could tell that the sun had set. The forest never seemed to end, the fog and mist stretching as far as she could see.

She kept walking.

Eventually, she was aware of a light in front of her. She hurried forward, glad to finally see the edge of the forest. What she found instead was the torch, still flickering in an invisible wind.

 _What? But I walked away from it_. She began to grow desperate. She practically ran away from the torch, pushing her way through the trees and bushes as the night fell and the fog grew thicker. A light, the same torch as she ran back into the clearing she'd been in twice before.

 _How? How could I have found this same torch three times?_

She ran now, in the only direction she hadn't gone. Her desperation turned to panic in her throat, fighting the urge to scream in terror as she pushed back against the dark forest that seemed to loom against her at every turn. Arms and taunting faces reaching out and holding her down.

Sickles and masks reaching out and slicing her down.

She turned and saw a tree, screamed and ran off the path, fleeing aimlessly through the forest. Her foot hit another root and she tumbled, then got back up and kept running. Only when she tumbled head-over-feet over a stump did she finally stop to catch her breath. She looked around. The stump sat in the middle of another clearing, surrounded by trees that all seemed to face in, their faces watching with delight and menace whatever macabre performance happened within the clearing. She sighed and collapsed next to the stump.

 _I'm never getting out of here._

"Why so glum?" A voice asked. It was accompanied by a giggle that echoed, almost as if the trees themselves were laughing. "Why not play with me?"

She looked up at the stump, where the most curious creature sat looking at her. It was human-or at least, it looked it. A straw hat hid the face in shadow, the shirt and pants contrasting colors and well-ratted. Straw was stuffed in the sleeves and pants, either to insulate the thread-bare clothing or to add more to what could have been a harvest costume. It held a lantern, which looked to be nothing more than a few pieces of wood tied together with twine and ivy, a glowing blue light at its center. What was most curious, though, was the mask it wore on its face. It was wooden, carved with faint marks where paint had once highlighted facial features. Two glowing yellow eyes peered out from behind the mask, watching her intently.

"Wh-Who are you?" She stammered, backing away from the stump.

The figure thought for a moment, putting a finger to its mouth. "I don't know!" It finally said happily. It sounded male, at the very least. "Who are you?"

Clementa opened her mouth, but then closed it. "I…don't know either." She admitted.

"Well, that's sad!" The figure said happily, tossing its lantern from one hand to the other. "How do you expect to go anywhere if you don't know who you are?"

"I could say the same for you." She replied. "Where are you from?"

"I live here!" The child said, pointing to the dark forest. "I've lived here for a long time. I used to live somewhere else, but I don't remember where it was." It focused back on her. "Where are you from?"

"Nowhere." She replied. "I used to have a home, but then I ran away."

"Why did you run?"

"Because I wanted strength. My home made me sad, so I ran away to find a new one."

"I did too!" The child said, standing up and dancing on the stump. "But then I got sad again, but I couldn't go home. I got lost. Did you get lost too?"

"I…" She had to think about that one. "I know where it is, but I don't know how to get back there."

"But you know where it is!"

"I do, but…"

"But?"

"But I don't know my family wants me back." She said, defeated. "I kinda…made them mad when I ran away."

"Oh…" The child seemed sad. "Are they still mad at you?"

"I don't know." She replied. "I haven't talked to them in a while. I… I'm not like them anymore. I don't know if they would accept me back anymore."

"I don't know if my family would take me back either." The child said sadly. "But I have a new family!" He said, brightly. "The trees talk to me! We talk and laugh together. I've been friends with them for a long time."

"They do, huh?" She said, amused. "And what do they talk to you about?"

"Birds!" The child said, excited. "Birds and squirrels and flowers and the pranks they play on each other. I help them out, but I don't tell them who did what." He whispered conspiratorially. "We have lots of fun here in the forest. And we talk about visitors!"

"Visitors?"

"Yeah! Lots of people wander into the forest! Like you!" The child said with a laugh. "They wander in and get lost. Most of them wander back out before too long, but some like me get lost forever and ever and get to play with the trees."

A chill went down her spine. "How do people get out of the forest?"

"The Children of the forest help them!" The child said with a giggle. "But they only help people they like. They can be kinda mean sometimes."

"Are you one of those children?" She ventured.

"Nope!" The Child giggled. "The Children of the Forest don't look like me. They look like tiny trees that fly around on leaves." He stopped laughing and stood still for a moment. Then he looked at the lost soul in front of him with a new interest. "They might help you. They seem to be in a good mood today."

"You can tell?"

"Yep! The trees told me!" The child said, pointing into the forest. "They said a visitor found his way through the forest to the Great Deku Tree and that the Children have been waiting for him for a long time."

 _That must be the Hero_. She thought. _Who else could they be waiting for?_

"So how do I get one of these Children of the Forest to help me?"

"Well…" The Child thought, holding his lantern and thinking. "You could play with me! Then I can tell them that you're super cool and should leave the forest so you can find your way home!"

 _I'm not great with children_. She thought to herself. _But if it's the only way to leave this forest…_

"Ok, I'll bite." She said, shifting her weight. "What do you want to play?"

"We could play tag!" The child said with excitement. "I love to play tag. I got to play it with this big black wolf one time and he chased me all over the forest and- "

"Hang on. Big Black Wolf? With a white underbelly and rings in his ears?" She cut in. "And eyes that didn't belong to any beast you would know?"

"You know him!?" The child asked with delight.

"Well… I've seen him from a distance. He was travelling with that visitor the Children are so excited about." She explained. "He lives in the Spirit realm now."

"Wow… That's so cool!" The child said. "You must be pretty cool if you can see one of the old Heroes." The Child said.

"What?" The confusion must have been evident on her face.

"Yeah, he's really one of the old Heroes of legend who is fated to free Hyrule from darkness." The Child said. "I've met him several times, but he's different every time. But the time we were bestest friends was my favorite." The child said, floating in the air holding his feet. "I still wear this mask so if he comes back he'll remember me and we can play again!" He spun around in the air. "Hey, why do you wear your mask?"

"My Mask?" She had forgotten she was wearing it. "I started wearing it because I thought it would give me strength. But recently it seems to bring nothing more than weakness. Some days I don't even know who I am under the mask."

"Is that why you're lost?" The child asked, spinning himself to sit straight. "And why is strength so important, anyway?"

She didn't have an answer for him. Not a good one, anyway. "My family was once prominent and well respected in the kingdom. But they have declined to the point where all that was left were elders holding us to a tradition that didn't seem to bear fruit. So my friends and I ran away to find strength so we could be proud of ourselves. But we got ourselves lost instead." She said sadly, weaving her tale so that it would make sense to the child-minded spirit in front of her. "Now we can't go home. We can't even find our way out of the forest we've trapped ourselves in. My friends won't even admit they're lost."

"That's not good." The Child said. "If you don't admit you're lost, you can never leave. There's some adults that did that once. Their skeletons still roam the forest sometimes, looking for a way out without admitting they cannot even find themselves."

She could have sworn she heard the rattle of bones behind her. She spun in place, but there was only the darkness and the mist behind her. The child laughed at her fear, spinning around again in the air. "Don't worry, they won't hurt you. They can't hurt anyone anymore."

"That's easy for you to say." She said, turning back around. The child talked about ancient heroes as if he had only seen them last week.

"I know! It's really easy to say!" The child said with a laugh. "Hey, can you play an instrument?"

"Me? I could, once. But I haven't played in years. I don't even know if my family still has the instrument anymore."

"What kinda instrument was it?" The child asked. "Was it a flute like this?" He pulled a small clay ocarina out of his pocket. "My friend has one like this too, but it was blue with little gold triangles on it."

"No, this one was shaped like this." She said, drawing her fingers In a U shape. "And it had strings strung across it. My grandmother said it was shaped like one that had belonged to the family a long time ago, said to be played by the goddess herself."

"oooh… Did it sound pretty?"

"It sounded beautiful, even with my clumsy playing." She admitted. "Although my sister could play it better than I could. She had more gentle fingers."

"Is your sister like you?"

"Yes and no. We look a bit alike, but she's much stronger than I am."

"So, you left to get stronger!" The Child said. "I get it now!"

"Maybe I did." She said with a small smile behind her mask. "But I learned that the strength I was looking for was not the kind of strength she carries with her. I'd like to go home and tell her that."

"Then I'll help you!" The Child said, tossing his lantern in the air. "Come on!"

"You will!"

"Yeah! The Children like me and I like you." The Child said. "You're like me; a lost soul hiding behind a mask looking for home. Except I'm already home and you're not quite lost yet."

"How can you be so sure?" She asked.

"I can't!" The Child squealed. "But Your face doesn't look like mine so you aren't lost yet. You just wandered off the path a little bit. You'll find your way home soon."

"I will!"

"Yep!" The Child said, floating away from the stump and into the trees. "Follow me!"

She followed, chasing the little blue light through trees and over bushes, never letting its glow leave her sight. She could have sworn that more than once it vanished only to appear somewhere else, as If the child was trying to play hide-and-seek and tag at the same time. Finally, it came to a stop. She caught up and found the child hovering in front of a large tree with a gaping mouth.

"Almost there!" The child said. "Just jump in here!"

"Then I'll find my way home!"

"Nope!" The child giggled. "You have to find yourself first. Once you find yourself, then you'll find your way home. Good luck!"

She felt a ghostly hand push into her back, and she was falling into the hole, into the abyss, into nothingness as a haunting laugh echoed around her.

Then she landed, face first into the earth. She groaned and push herself to her feet. It was daytime, and while the mist was present, it wasn't near as chilling as before. Two torches were lit, almost like an entrance to the Lost Woods that lay beyond. She turned around and saw the path leading back up into flourishing trees and sunlight. She looked back at the forest one more time before beginning the trek back up into the sun.

 _Find myself and I find my way home_. She pondered the spirit child's words as she climbed _. I don't even know where to begin._

Then, behind her, she heard a laugh and a voice echo through the trees.

 _"_ _Thanks for playing with me! Come back again and play sometime!"_


	12. Summit

**Depths of the Yiga**

 **Chapter 12**

 _The Summit_

It was dark out. She wandered along the top of the plateau, aimless. It had been days, maybe a week since she had left the Lost Woods; she just wasn't sure anymore. All she knew was that, somehow, she had fallen back into the Hero's shadow.

It hadn't been hard. He appeared from the forest not long after she had left, except He didn't faceplant into the ground first. He simply walked out of the mist as if it was an old friend of his. She felt a bit envious, but let her body fall back into the rhythm it had during her months of reconnaissance. She had been able to take the time to replenish her rations just a bit before the Hero set off for the southeast. It had been hard to keep up; He was riding a horse, while her precious Amencer was still at Dueling Peaks stable. Thankfully he stuck to the roads, so while he rode during the day she ran at night, rushing to keep up with the Hero who seemed to be making his way to Gerudo Desert with all speed.

 _What's his rush? It's not like he can enter Gerudo town_. She thought as she neared the edge of the plateau. She looked down to see the stable, nestled in the shadow of a cliff. It was the last stopping point before the wide desert beyond, home to the Gerudo and, unbeknownst to most, the Yiga. She had seen two of them rushing past through the canyon, just missing the Hero as he stepped inside to stable his horse. Minutes later he was walking towards the oasis, completely oblivious as to the near miss. He's mad if he thinks he can free Vah Naboris without the Thunder Helm…

The Thunder Helm, prized possession of the Gerudo now in the Hands of the Yiga. She shuddered. _He's going to come face to face with my… with the Yiga, and they won't take my word for it._ She thought sadly. _Who knows how many of them are going to get hurt when he comes a-knocking…_

She felt helpless. She didn't dare reveal herself to the Hero and warn him-what reason would he have to believe a total stranger, or even a Yiga? She would be swatted aside as soon as she came close. But at the same time, those who she had once considered family no longer listened to the advice she gave. She couldn't stop the oncoming battle, only watch from a distance as it raged.

 _I need to do something_. She thought _. I don't care what it is, but I can't just sit here while everything I worked for goes to waste._

She sat down on the plateau and looked across the Desert. On some days, it could be called beautiful, it you came at just the right time to watch the sunset. She could faintly see Vah Naboris as it rampaged through the eastern part of the desert, frying anyone who dared to come close indiscriminately. Far, far in the distance the remains of one of the great leviathans could be seen, bleached-white bones ravaged by the sun and the passage of time. And scattered throughout the desert were the ruins of what must have been a far greater Gerudo civilization.

They faded too. She thought as she watched the moon shed its light over the desert and the few who chose to wander it in the night. The Gerudo faded much like the Sheikah did-or were ravaged by Ganon's return-but they still manage to thrive. Why can't the Sheikah do the same?

She looked up. Zirco Mesa loomed above her, far above anything else she could see. If she cared to pull out her spyglass, she would see snow gracing the utmost peaks. To any other passing traveler, it was just another unremarkable part of the landscape. But to her, on that night under the silver moon, it rang out as a challenge to a yearning soul.

 _I'll climb that peak._ She decided _. I need to do something to dispense this excess energy. Who knows-I might even get a decent view of Vah Naboris from up there._

It took her only minutes to cross the gap over the canyon, landing easily on the other side. Then she began to climb. It was not a singular, continuous cliff-not even the Hero would be able to climb that. No, the path to the Mesa top was a series of smaller cliffs that leaned against one another, providing small places to rest as she climbed.

It didn't take long until something digging into her back made her stop. She twisted her head to see the sickle dangling from its place right in the small of her back, poking her incessantly. With barely a thought she removed it and tossed it on a ledge before continuing her climb. If I really need it I can come back and get it. She decided. And up the cliff she continued.

The wind began to blow, threatening her precious handholds in the cliff face. She reached a ledge and stopped, catching her breath and leaning into the rock out of the wind. She looked down. It didn't seem that far, not in comparison to the rest of the mountain that loomed above her. She considered, just for a moment, giving up and going back down to the stable. She shook her head, grabbed a fresh hold of the cliff, and pressed on.

A pebble bounced off her head. She looked up, irritated, only to see it was the topknot brushing the cliff above her and scattering rocks upon her own head. Irritated, she pulled it off with a solid yank and tossed it to the wind, not even bothering to watch as it blew away aimlessly. Then she continued.

Another ledge, another rest. The Stable seemed far away now, a tiny splotch of color against the landscape. The rest of Gerudo canyon was laid out in front of her, a dry, winding snake in the land weaving its way towards the desert. It was almost peaceful in the setting moonlight. She shook out her limbs and kept climbing.

Her muscles strained, but it wasn't because of the climb and the strength it took to pull her frame up the mountainside. No, it was the uniform, its now extremely tight fabric fighting her movements at every turn. She glared, irritated even further. No sooner did her feet hit the next ledge than the top piece of the uniform came off, armor and all, and was left in an unceremonious heap as she continued the climb ever upwards.

She was almost there. She could practically taste the arctic air on her lips, the cold wind stinging her bare arms as they stretched and strained towards the summit. Her body trembled, the strain from the climb taking its toll as the hours passed.

 _Just give up_. A voice said inside her, one that wasn't her own. _You'll never make it to the top. Just go back down and go back to waiting._

She soundly ignored it.

She heard a riiiiip, looked down and realized that the leggings she wore had managed to rip solidly down one thigh. She sighed, then sat down on the next ledge and pulled those off too, tossing them down to land next to the abandoned top. Then she turned around, bare feet in the show, and climbed.

The sweat glistened on her arms, the fingers trembled as they reached for another hand hold, and another, and another. Then they met with empty air.

She had reached the summit.

She pulled herself up gracefully, landing in the soft and fluffy snow that covered the ground at the top. It was cold, but she didn't care. She breathed, her chest finally free from the restrictive uniform. Then she flopped over on to her back and started laughing.

She had done it.

She sat up, pulling the mask from her face and enjoying the wind blowing across her face and through her snow-white hair. Then a glint of light caught her eyes. She stood up.

The sun had risen, casting its warm rays across Hyrule. She stood in awe, mask held limply in her hand as she watched the sky turn gold and red and pink in her moment of triumph, Hyrule turning into a field of light before her eyes. Then she looked down at the mask in her hands. She, despite all her years as a member of the Yiga clan, had never looked that closely at the design; it was simply an inverted Sheikah Symbol, after all.

 _And that's all it ever was._ She realized. T _here's no massive symbolism or meaning behind the mask; just a temper tantrum painted on paper Mache. Sure, back when the Yiga first split it may have been symbolic, but now… now it's just the sign of a group of people who refuse to let go of their ways._

 _And so are the Sheikah, I guess the two groups aren't as different as we thought._

She inspected the backside of the mask. Nothing. Nothing to mark it as hers or anything other than a wooden symbol. Even her training tools back in Kakariko had her name lovingly carved on them.

 _I came to the Yiga seeking strength, and I found weakness. I came seeking community and I ended up alone. I came seeking prestige and I was anonymous in a group of traitors. Everything the Yiga promised us was a lie._

She looked across Hyrule, in nothing but her underclothes and the band holding her white hair in place. And, in the light and the wind and caught up with the adrenaline of her triumph, she made her choice.

 _"_ _Once you find yourself, then you'll find your way home."_

The mask dropped into the snow.

 _I may not be Sheikah anymore, but I am not Yiga either_. Clementa decided _. I may not know who I am, but I am determined to find out._

 _And who knows? Maybe that little Hero Link may learn a thing or two from me in the process._

* * *

Clementa's Journey continues in

 **Strength of the Sheikah**

Coming soon to a fanfiction site near you!


End file.
